There were so many hugs after that, with Paulo, Aunt Ella and Lonia; Rosie, Aunt Mags and Uncle Jerome; and Beth, looking so grown-up, and Belinda, too. And, of course, Susan, Rory and Angus. When they reached Mags’s house, their chatter went on and on.

Rosie was telling them of her new job, and how much she was loving it.

‘Aye, and she’s done what I told her not to do, an’ all – she’s fallen in love with a doctor. By, how I’m going to live up to his family, I don’t knaw.’

‘Ma, you daft ha’p’orth! They’re naw different from us. I told you, Walter surprised his parents by turning out to be a clever-clogs, and wouldn’t be where he is but for a helping hand from the kindly lady who lived in the Grange in his village.’ Rosie told them all then how Wally had been a gardener’s boy at the Grange, and the lady of the house had taken him under her wing, educating him in so much that he hadn’t learned at the village school. She had recognized his ability and helped him to university and paid for his medical training. ‘His training was interrupted by war at first, but he copped a bullet or two at Dunkirk. He only has one leg, like Paulo,’ Rosie told them. ‘But Wally continued his training, once he could. He has a false leg. You will have one of those one day, Paulo.’

‘Well, young lass, you never told me owt of this before!’

‘Because you wouldn’t listen, Ma. I did try.’

‘Eeh, I’m sorry, our lass. I thought if I ignored it, it would go away. Now I don’t want him to. Is Walter working over Christmas? If not, I’d be honoured if he’d join us.’

‘Oh, Ma. Ma!’ Rosie jumped up and hugged her mother, and for a moment it seemed that everything was going to come right for everyone.

‘Well, I’m to get back to me duties or Cook’ll be scalping me.’ They all laughed at Betsy saying this. Aunt Mags had brought lovely Cook with her, now retired from full-time work at the Manor, but considered one of the family; and between them, Betsy and Cook were re-creating old times when they worked together.

When dinner was served, it was a wonderful meal of that day’s catch, which had been proudly presented by Angus.

No one remarked on how tipsy Betsy and Cook appeared to be as they tripped around the table, their movements made in such a way as not to drop the food, but to stay upright. Afterwards they all sat around the blazing fire and chatted some more, to the noise of Betsy and Cook snoring gently.