Auntie’s desk had been moved to the middle and a large platter had been placed on top of it. The platter was covered with a tablecloth, coffee cups and saucers, along with the world’s finest gateau, a raspberry and white chocolate cream cake. The whole surface was decorated with rolls of liquorice, raspberry pillows, grapes, chocolates, gummy bears, popcorn and marshmallow hearts. A paper umbrella, a shiny swizzle stick, a marzipan rose and a candle were stuck in the middle. Looking at that cake, I saw that the Double Jackpot really was something to write home about. And Mum laughed till she cried. But Auntie must have laughed enough already, because she started setting up folding chairs for Mum and Dad, sniffing a little.

There was no sign of the lottery win.

‘You don’t take it home,’ Auntie Annu explained. ‘It went straight to the bank.’

‘Would it fit in this room?’

‘I’m not sure.’

‘Didn’t you get to see it?’

Auntie shook her head and clasped her hands together. Then she shrugged.

‘Would it fit in a bathtub?’

‘It might have been a good idea to go and see it, actually,’ Auntie Annu said.

Dad opened a bottle of sparkling wine, and I got to pour myself a mixture of Jaffa and Coca-Cola without prompting a word of criticism from any of the grown-ups.

‘Well, then, congratulations, millionaire!’ Dad said, and we clinked glasses.

‘Well, yes. What can I say?’ Auntie said. ‘I’ll get appoint-ments with the dentist and the gynaecologist right away!’

And the grown-ups laughed again and wiped their eyes.

Then Auntie picked up the cake slice and said, ‘You choose, Saara. Where d’you want me to cut?’

And I went for gummy bears, popcorn and the marzipan rose.

Auntie Annu gave some thought to the decision to buy the manor house near our home. It was pink and old, and Auntie Annu had always seen it across the fields when driving our way. It was called Great Manor, but Dad began calling it Extra Great Manor, because it was so big, whereas Auntie was so small, and no one really needs fifteen bedrooms. Soon everyone else called it that too.

Extra Great Manor had been vacant for twenty years. Before that, it had housed an office; before that, some sort of depot; before that, a children’s summer camp. Before that, there had been a war, and the hospital maternity ward had come to Extra Great Manor to escape the bombs. Before that, the manor-house furniture had been sold off at auction, and before that, Extra Great Manor was occupied by a Mrs Gyllenhök, whose grandfather had the place built for his family in 1877.