‘I will.’ Ruby gripped his hand and kissed the back of his fingers. He loped slowly from the parlour and closed the door behind him. ‘I’m glad he’s gone out.’ Ruby swallowed. ‘It’s desperate with him sitting in the house all day, just staring out of the window.’

‘He loved Dad.’

‘Yes, he did. Talk about state the bloody obvious, thank you for that, Merrin,’ Ruby snapped.

She stared at her sister, who stared back. Bella subtly shook her head and closed her eyes briefly; code for ignore her. It was like this sometimes, as if she inadvertently pushed Ruby’s buttons that took her from calm to furious in seconds. She took Bella’s advice and the atmosphere settled a little.

With baby Glynn sleeping soundly in his pram in the corner, Merrin, Bella and Ruby settled back into their seats around the hearth with large mugs of tea, warming their toes in front of the fire. It was just like old times, except they were solemn and thoughtful. Merrin knew without doubt that they, like her, took solace from the proximity of the others.

‘Shall I take Heather up some toast or something?’ Bella looked towards the ceiling.

‘She won’t eat it, Bells,’ Ruby sighed. ‘We’ve tried, ain’t we, Merry?’

She nodded. This, too, was her sister’s MO – to throw a verbal olive branch after snapping at her.

‘Jarvis is right, Miguel is a good bloke.’ She pictured the effort he had gone to, the petals on the bed, the smell of lavender oil, the candles . . .

‘Yes, I thought he was lovely,’ Bella added.

‘He is lovely.’ She smiled at her friend. ‘I think he might propose . . .’ She let this trail.

‘God!’ Bella sat forward in her seat. ‘That’s big news. And what would you say?’

‘I don’t know.’ She rubbed her sore eyes. ‘I’m thinking that he’s got a lot of qualities that make for a good life partner.’

‘But is that enough, Merry? Don’t you want that glow of real love?’ Bella, she knew, had reservations about the two of them.

‘I don’t think that happens for most people, if it exists at all, and so why would I hold out for it?’ she surmised. ‘Besides, I’m honestly too muddle-headed right now to think about anything. I don’t know if he’s what I’m looking for.’

‘What are you looking for exactly?’ Ruby sipped her tea.