She didn’t say anything else and I went upstairs into the bathroom and quietly closed the door. I perched on the edge of the bath imagining what the voices I could hear murmuring below were saying. I could hear the conversation was going back and forth and was then punctuated with longer silences.

When I felt certain that Dolly had relayed all she felt necessary I opened the door and slipped out on to the little landing.

‘You can come back down,’ she said as the creaking floorboards gave me away. ‘You can come back now, Hattie dear.’

I slowly descended, resting my hand on Beamish’s slumped shoulder as I brushed by to reach my chair. He placed his much bigger one over mine and sniffed before sitting upright. His eyes were damp and there was a definite trembling around his bottom lip and in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to kiss his hurt away.

‘I can’t believe it,’ he said huskily as I picked up my tea again and drained the contents which were now lukewarm. ‘Why now?’

‘Why at all?’ I said, sounding bitter on Dolly’s behalf.

Beamish nodded in agreement, while Dolly looked entirely at ease.

‘I’ve been through all of that,’ she said, sounding resigned, ‘in my own time and in my own way and nothing came of it. There was no sudden moment of enlightenment, it was just a waste of time. Precious time,’ she reiterated. ‘I suggest we all stop worrying about the whys and wherefores and focus on the here and now.’

Beamish sat up straighter and I returned my cup to its saucer. She was right of course and if that was what she wanted, then that’s what I would do. In front of her at least; my private time would most likely be nowhere near as composed.

‘Well,’ I said, ‘as you know, I’m not going anywhere for a while, Dolly. I’m going to stay in Wynbridge for as long as you need me.’

I couldn’t bear to say until she was gone. I couldn’t allow myself to think that far ahead, let alone, beyond that.

‘And I’m only just a phone call and a short drive away,’ said Beamish, backing up my good intentions. ‘I can be at your beck and call twenty-four seven, Dolly. You needn’t worry about that.’

‘We’re both here to do whatever it is you need,’ I nodded vehemently, ‘whenever you need it.’

Dolly nodded and I hoped our words were of some comfort to her. Whatever happened next, she was not going to be facing it on her own. Whether she had weeks or months, between us, Beamish and I would make sure they were as comfortable and as filled with as much wish fulfilment as Dolly could manage.