‘But Daddy found out I wasn’t, so why didn’t he change his Will?’

‘We will never know. But take heart that you have the assets you do possess. The only way Mr Roford can commandeer those is if he finds out about them and still has power of attorney. I promise you that I will do all in my power to get that state of affairs changed very quickly.’

‘Please keep me informed through Dr Lange. I am happy for him to know anything about my business.’

As they drove to David’s house, the pain that had been nudging Mags erupted. Poor Daddy. He wouldn’t have meant to do wrong by me, but as I well knew, he was old-fashioned in his thinking. At this thought the tears began to flow.

‘What is it, my dear? Everything is all right now. You will be able to start your new life.’

‘Will – will you take me to my father’s grave, please, David. I didn’t even look that way when I was in the churchyard for Bill’s funeral. I – I just haven’t let myself . . .’

‘Oh, my poor Margaret. Of course. Would you like us to pick up Betsy to be with you?’

‘No, bless her, she has enough to contend with, with her own grief. I just need to sit a while with Daddy and my mother. But don’t leave me, as I am afraid to be on my own.’

The mound of earth looked bare. Not even her mother’s stone was in place, as she imagined the undertaker would have arranged for it to go back to the stonemason’s to have her father’s details added.

‘It’s like a nothing-place.’

David didn’t answer.

‘I can’t believe they are both gone. So much has happened, and in such a short time. This time last year I had them both and lived in our family home. I ran the family business and – ha! – I was even looking forward to deepening my relationship with Harold. How is it possible that so much has changed?’

‘You have been through a lot, Margaret, my dear, but everything is about to improve. You have so much to look forward to again.’

Mags’s glance took in the fresh mound of earth across the cemetery in the far corner, and Betsy’s plight hit her afresh: alone with three children, and with another that she hadn’t asked for on the way. This thought helped her to put into perspective what she’d lost. She had always faced the fact of how elderly her parents were, and that she might lose them whilst she was still young, not that that made it any easier. But she did have a lot to look forward to. Betsy didn’t.

‘You’re right. I must be strong. Betsy needs me. I’m worried about leaving her, as I can’t stay here and she will be left at Harold’s mercy. He won’t give up. He knows that I must have money he doesn’t know about, and it will eat away at him. He’ll hound Betsy, thinking he can get it out of me by intimidating her.’