‘Hello, you two.’ Mr Carew held out his hand to Uncle Tom then took hers and bowed over it slightly. ‘I see as usual, Tom, you are escorting the most beautiful woman.’

Uncle Tom grinned. ‘Always.’

In the distance Diana heard Mrs Hoskine calling her. She looked up and said, ‘If you’ll excuse me, please.’

‘Of course.’ Uncle Tom smiled then continued walking with Mr Carew.

Diana raced to the house hoping that Mrs Hoskine was going to ask her to help with the final touches for the silverbelle, Diana’s favourite chocolate pudding, for tomorrow’s special birthday dinner for Daddy. Diana loved chocolate and so did Daddy.

13

Lottie

3 August 2018, 6.00 p.m.

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, Lottie was greeted by the voice of Bobby Darin. ‘Somewhere Beyond the Sea’. Gramps had taught her to dance to this while Gran taught Alex. They had been invited to a big black-tie party at Eddie Carew’s house for his eightieth. Neither Lottie nor Alex had known how to dance properly so the week before the party the drawing room rug had been rolled up and every night, just after cocktails, it had been like a session of Strictly for the hopeless. But by the time the party had arrived, both Lottie and Alex could dance. Even now she could remember how handsome he’d been in his borrowed dinner jacket and the feel of his arms around her. It had been a magical evening of dancing under the stars. A few days later it was over.

She couldn’t fix the past, but she could make sure she didn’t mess up any more of the future. Hopefully now she had learned to let no one in and to trust no one. That would be key to going forward.

In the courtyard she tapped on the cottage door. Alex opened it, dressed only in a towel. She looked at the top of his head for fear of staring.

‘Sorry to disturb you but Gran would like to come downstairs and she said you’d help.’

‘Of course.’

‘Thanks.’

‘I’ll be there in a few minutes.’

‘Do you need help?’ She looked down at his bare feet.

‘I can get dressed on my own.’

‘Right.’ She risked a quick glance up but wished she hadn’t. He was amused but she felt an idiot. Exiting swiftly, she set a smile on her face and walked back to the house and into the drawing room with her head held high. No one here knew what a mess her life was at the moment and it would stay that way. It would cause Gramps so much pain and her mother would be disappointed yet again.

‘Lottie, my dear. Gin?’ Gramps asked, putting his hands on the arms of the chair.

‘I’ll get it, Gramps. You stay seated.’ She walked to the end of the piano where the trolley sat and made herself a weak drink, tempting though it was to let the gin relax her. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down. She turned back to the room and surveyed it. It felt too big and at the same time not large enough for the three of them.