The storm on the night Mags and Jerome had sealed their love prevented them from keeping to their plans. Both of their houses sustained damage, as did the mill, with a huge chimney collapsing.

It was this damage that caused the most worry, as six workers doing the nightshift were hurt. Mags was mortified and made sure they and their families were cared for. But from a business angle, it had been a disaster, as Mags had found that due to lack of maintenance, the insurers wouldn’t pay out. Her decision was to stay and to be at the helm until the mill was up and running once more.

Jerome had taken the opportunity to ask Mags to marry him.

On her wedding day seven months previously, 5th December 1925, it had seemed to Mags that the last year had been all about weddings and frocks and all the palaver that went with the occasion, as she had kept her promise and had been up to Scotland to be with Susan on her wedding day to Rory in November. Once more she had been maid of honour, this time in primrose; and once more she had gone to be with Montel for a while. On her visit to the graveyard she’d sat and talked through all her plans and knew, when she left, that she had Montel’s blessing.

And so she had approached her own wedding with happiness, and it had been a wonderful affair with all of the families from her old circle attending. So many of them had refused the invitation when she was marrying Harold, as most had come across him in their business activities with his uncle’s mill and hadn’t liked him, and so the excuses had piled up.

She had worn a beautiful cream silk suit with a draping jacket and a long pleated skirt. And her bridesmaids and maids of honour had all been in cream, too – simple silk frocks, but, like her, they all had a fur wrap to keep them warm. A flurry of snow had greeted them as they’d come out of the church in Feniscowles, and each of them had taken their flowers to the graves of their loved ones. Betsy had stood by Bill’s grave and introduced him to Angus, and had then done the same to her ma. Mags had spent a little while with her mother and father before being led away by Jerome.

Some sadness had entered Mags, but she hadn’t let it spoil her day. She’d wrapped one flower from her huge bouquet and had asked Susan to put it on Montel’s grave for her, and that had given her peace.

It had been lovely to see them all, and Iris and her husband, attending. And for little Beth to be reunited with what Mags thought of as her family.

The one picture Mags would keep in her mind was of all the children playing a game where they clasped hands and skipped around Beth, who sat in her pushchair clapping her hands and then laughing out loud when the chain of hands collapsed and they all fell on the ground. It was a lovely moment.