‘And you and Miss Carter must stay at the castle for as long as you need to,’ Hilaria added. ‘It goes without saying that we would love you both to make your home on the island. Your mother ran the museum for so many years, and I can’t think of anyone better to take over the reins. Take some time to talk it through. You don’t have to give me your answer until you’re ready.’

Penrose saw the look of horror pass across Violet’s face, but she needn’t have worried. ‘That’s very kind, Miss, and I know how much the Mount meant to my mother, but we’ve got our own life now,’ Johnny said. He squeezed Violet’s hand. ‘We’re happy as we are, but thank you for the offer.’

Hilaria smiled. ‘Well, if you change your mind, you’ll always be welcome here.’ 288

‘Will you go away for a while now?’ Penrose asked her, as she watched them walk off together.

‘You must have read my mind. I’ll spend a few days with my father when everything is settled here, then go abroad for a bit. Somewhere hot, I think, where they don’t hold much with Christmas.’ He smiled, but she didn’t return it. ‘Not for long, though. I’ll have to leave permanently sooner or later, so I want to make the most of the time I’ve got left. There are still things to do.’

She left him to greet some new arrivals, and Penrose was grateful to slip quietly away for some time on his own. He lit another cigarette and stared up at the sky, which was remarkably clear and still after the violence of the storms, strewn with frosted white stars that offered all the light he needed. In the distance, he heard the chugging of a boat and watched as it approached the island, cutting its engine as it entered the harbour. The boatman jumped out and helped a woman with a suitcase to climb the steps, then set off back to the mainland, and Penrose watched as Josephine and Marta walked along the pier to welcome the house party’s final guest. To his surprise, they obviously knew her, and as the three women hugged and turned towards the castle, he wondered why they hadn’t mentioned that Mrs Carmichael was a friend.

He caught them up by the old dairy, halfway up the Mount. Josephine saw him first and gave him that smile again, then caught the stranger’s arm. The woman turned round, unwinding the scarf from her face, and Archie stared at his daughter in astonishment and joy. ‘Phyllis! What on earth are you doing here? And what’s all this about Mrs Carmichael? Surely you haven’t got married without telling me?’ 289

Phyllis threw back her head and laughed, then put her case down and gave him a hug. ‘Of course I haven’t! And you’ll have to ask Josephine and Marta about Mrs Carmichael. They made all her arrangements.’

‘With a little help from fate,’ Josephine said. ‘Phyllis is our Christmas present to you. She was coming as a surprise to Loe House, but then the plans changed and we had to sort everything out with Hilaria. We didn’t want to give the game away, though, so we invented the mysterious Mrs Carmichael for the sake of the guest list.’