‘What? But that’s – my God, that’s fantastic news,’ Toby said, and the look of genuine delight on his face made her smile.

‘Isn’t it? I’m so happy. I know Cullen would be, too. It’s early days, and there’s conservation work they need to do. Obviously, they’re keen to make Eveline and the camera obscura the focus of that. But I’m so relieved, Toby, that’s it’s not just going to disappear. Thank you,’ she added. ‘Without all your help with the research there’s a good chance that the lighthouse would have been sold and Eveline’s story would never have come to light.’

Toby reached out and grasped her hand, and reflexively, Rachel squeezed his fingers.

‘It was you that worked out it was Eveline,’ he pointed out. ‘You’re the one who found the Austens, who pieced all of that together.’

Rachel glanced at their joined hands and Toby let her go. ‘I’d say it was a pretty good team effort, wouldn’t you?’

He smiled. ‘I would.’

‘Anyway, they say they will probably turn the two floors that are currently the living space into a permanent exhibition that will make use of Eveline’s blueprints and scans to tell the story of how she designed and built it,’ Rachel said. ‘Trudy Goodwin is going to give them the Austens on long-term loan so that they can be used as the centrepiece, rather than selling them.’

Toby was quiet for a minute, a shadow settling in his eyes. ‘I’m glad, really I am. But it’s going to be at the expense of your home, Rachel. Cullen definitely wouldn’t have wanted that. I can’t imagine Eveline MacDonald would have wanted it either, come to that.’

‘There was no way I was ever going to be able to stay in the lighthouse though, was there?’ Rachel said. ‘I always knew that. And actually, as it turns out, I’ve been very lucky.’

‘Oh?’

Rachel took a breath. Since her rushed conversation with Liz McNally earlier in the day, she’d hardly had time to think about the substance of what she’d been offered. McNally had told her to take a few days, to think about it, and Rachel had agreed because today was about Ezra and Edie, not her. But really, there was nothing to consider, was there?

‘They’re going to need someone to manage the place when it reopens,’ she said. ‘They’ve asked me if I want the job. They say that I’m the closest thing they’ve got to an expert on both the lighthouse and Eveline MacDonald, and so it makes sense to trust it to me. They’ve offered me the gatehouse as accommodation. So I might not be living in the lighthouse, but I won’t have to move very far at all.’

Toby stared at her for a moment, and then grabbed her in a hug that took her by surprise. Rachel laughed, her chin on his shoulder, her arms wrapping tightly around him.

‘All right,’ he said, into her ear, ‘now I am genuinely happy. That’s wonderful news. I’m so glad. I’ve been worried about you.’