Dolly and I walked up the aisle and I helped her off with her coat.

‘Well now,’ she smiled, ‘these really are grand. Thank you, Beamish.’

‘Some of the kids will be in front of you, Dolly,’ he said wisely. ‘I thought your presence might stop them chattering.’

‘But you’re forgetting I’ve retired,’ she laughed.

‘I don’t think that will make the slightest difference,’ I told her. ‘They respect you, Dolly. We all do.’

‘Exactly,’ said Beamish.

On the one hand it was a relief to find him so relaxed but on the other I couldn’t help wondering if the pretty usherette was responsible for his cheerful disposition and that didn’t cheer me at all.

‘I’m sorry about our trip to the Winter Wonderland, Hattie,’ he said, finally looking at me. ‘I was going to suggest we went today, but I got a call to say there were projector and electrical problems here and would I mind acting as electricians’ mate.’

‘Oh, that’s all right,’ I said, relief that he hadn’t snubbed me on purpose making my stomach fizz rather than groan, ‘I understand.’

‘I had no idea it was so late until someone said it was an hour until showtime,’ he added, turning back to Dolly. ‘The day has flown by.’

‘And between you all, have you fixed the projector?’ I asked.

‘Fingers crossed,’ he said. ‘It might need a bit of tweaking between films but I think it should be OK. Time will tell, I suppose. The electrics on the other hand . . .’

‘I’m sure it will all be fine,’ said Dolly, making herself comfortable. ‘And if it isn’t, you’ll soon sort it.’

Clearly, she had great faith in the skills of the much-loved and most popular handyman in Wynbridge.

‘And about what you told me last night, Hattie,’ he said, dropping his voice a little, ‘about your decision not to move . . .’

Dolly picked up her bag and opened it, ostensibly rifling for something to make it look as though she wasn’t listening.

‘Yes?’

‘Well, I just want you to know that I did take it on board, even if it didn’t seem like it.’

‘Right.’

‘I was just shocked,’ he went on, ‘still am, to be honest. Obviously, I don’t know what prompted your change of heart and we’ve never discussed the circumstances surrounding your decision to go in the first place,’ he said, fixing me with a penetrating gaze, ‘but it was a surprise to hear you’d changed your mind.’

He still hadn’t said whether he was pleased or not. The only emotion he had expressed was shock, but there was a look in his eyes which suggested there was something more going on in his head than feeling surprised.

‘Right,’ he said just as Dolly looked up from her bag brandishing a bag of sweets, ‘I better get backstage or whatever it’s called. See you later.’