“Yes, that’s totally correct. Grandma met my grandfather when he was in Paris, I believe, and she was learning painting or improving her French, I think. It was love at first sight, by most accounts, and she followed him back to the States. Nantucket was home to his large family; and my mother and her paternal cousins are still there.”

“How do you come to be in the Midwest?” Alex thought Siân had said Kansas was home for him.

“My college—it’s where I’m studying.”

Simon had been taking in the details of his expensive shoes and Hamptons style. He figured him for a business graduate. “Studying?”

“Theology.” Calvin flashed a smile, and Simon tried not to hold the row of perfect teeth against him.

Alex stifled a laugh as he looked down at the path. A cousin of mine and Will’s connected with the Church, he thought. That’s different. A similar thought must have amused Simon. “Very nice.” Calvin detected no irony.

Alex brought them toward White Hart Lane, and asked the others to walk onto The Ship while he took Lucy by car. He wouldn’t repeat the mistake of Friday night and wear her out; but she protested.

“Please don’t worry about me. You know I’m dedicated to my treadmill, and I walk from Battersea to the hospital whenever the weather is fine enough. The exercise is good for me.” With a mixture of sweetness and firmness she challenged the doctor to disagree.

“In moderation.” Alex refused to be overruled, so she gave in to his protectiveness and he jogged back for the car.

“Have you been ill, Lucy?” The concern in Siân’s voice was genuine.

“A heart operation a couple of months ago. But I’ve got to get back on my feet sometime. I definitely don’t want to be wrapped in cotton wool.”

“I’d enjoy it if I were you.” She threaded her arm through Lucy’s. “Alex will love to take care of you; and he’s excellent at it.”

The car spirited her away while the others walked briskly down the lane toward the river; and when they met up again ten minutes later, Alex and Lucy were settled comfortably at a round table by the window, overlooking the water. He was talking her through the reverse image of their view from the boat the other night.

“Great place!” Calvin enthusiastically pulled out a chair for Siân.

“We used to come here and expect war to break out between the brothers every March,” she told him. “Will was at UCL, but he supported Oxford in the Boat Race just to irritate Alex, who did his degree at Cambridge. You never rose to it, Alex, although Will had been pretty noisy about Oxford winning these last two races.”