Gramps hobbled into the drawing room where Lottie sat making a list, and he smiled at her. She fought the urge to cry again. She had just pulled herself together but there were too many things to process while she wrote a list that included call vicar, call funeral director, call lawyer, call the private investigator and call the V&A. She reached for her phone but it wasn’t in her pocket. She must have left it somewhere.

‘My darling girl.’ He held out his hand to her. She stood and went to his side.

‘Oh Gramps.’

‘What is it?’ He gave her an encouraging smile.

‘I need to tell you something.’ She looked down.

He took her hand. ‘Nothing can be that bad.’ He gave it a squeeze. ‘You are here with me.’

She snuffled. ‘True but I’m afraid I’ve made a real mess of things.’

‘It’s not that bad.’ He pulled her close to him.

‘It’s not good.’ She took a deep breath, thinking of Paul and the mess she’d made of her life and her career. ‘Because of some bad decisions and terrible judgement . . . I’ve lost the flat.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘What happened?’

‘Paul asked for a short-term loan to enlarge his workshop and buy the materials for a new contract.’ She shook her head. ‘I believed him and extended my mortgage by . . . £20,000.’ She swallowed.

‘And he blew it?’

‘I’m not sure because it’s worse than just that. We shared a workshop and he took all my designs, creations and raw materials from the safe.’

‘I see.’

‘It was everything I’d done in preparation for the young designers’ exhibition and I can’t claim on insurance because there has been no break-in.’

‘And the culprit?’

‘Gone. Vanished.’ She choked on the last word. ‘My career up in smoke and the flat sold to pay the debts.’

‘And has it?’

‘Yes.’

‘Good.’

‘You’re not upset?’ She frowned.

‘You are well and as I said at the start, you are with me.’ He placed a hand under her chin. ‘No one died.’

She flinched. ‘True.’

‘It can be fixed.’ He gave her a little smile.

‘Yes.’ But she wasn’t sure how.

‘I wished you’d asked for my help.’ He led them to the sofa.

‘I couldn’t.’

He shook his head. ‘Everything is easier when it’s shared.’

‘You and Gran.’

They sat side by side.

‘I miss her.’ His voice wobbled.

‘You two had such great love.’

‘We did.’

‘Bonded through shared experience.’ He looked down.

She wrapped her arm around him. ‘I’m so grateful she had you and I have too.’

‘Thank you, Lottie.’ He wiped the tears from his cheeks with his hankie. Mrs Hoskine’s words about Gran finding peace came to her. Her mother needed to find peace. She hoped she could.

Gramps’ eyes closed. His exhaustion was deep, and Lottie felt it in her bones.