Diana had taken Coco to London, to live with her. Ellen looked around, seeing in her mind’s eye Gina walking the little dog along these paths, then running with him into the village. The outbuilding had for weeks held the piles of bricks and the broom handle she’d set up for his entertainment, but the sight of it had saddened Ellen so much that she had stacked everything away and the door was now closed on a bare floor. She wondered if Coco was now a town dog, or whether he was still a country dog at heart, missing the peace and the stark beauty of the Lancashire fells as he walked the crowded London pavements with Diana. It would take a lot to make Ellen give up Lancashire, but little Coco had had no choice.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Ah, that lovely smell of frosty air and bonfires …

‘Gets me like that, too, lass,’ said Tom, coming down the path with a wheelbarrow.

‘It’s the smell that means it’s time to put the garden to bed for the winter,’ said Ellen. She sighed. ‘I wonder if we’ll even have jobs here in spring, when it’s time to get it going again.’

‘I haven’t heard that Mr Stellion is selling up,’ said Tom. ‘We’re needed to keep the place ticking over, even if Mr and Mrs S are away. They don’t want to come back and find the garden has gone to rack and ruin, do they? Although it’s not as it was between them and us now Gina’s in prison and their James has got away scot-free. I know your mum feels the same. Might be less awkward for all concerned if we looked for jobs elsewhere.’

‘True, yet we’ll all be sorry to go. It can’t ever be as it was now, though. But even if we’re not doing new planting and making changes here, I’ve got plans for the garden up at the farm,’ Ellen told him. ‘When Ed and I get married, I thought I’d try summat new. Nancy is keen, too. Mebbe some herbs; get a little business of our own going … Mum says she’ll help. There’s little for her to do now the Hall is empty of folk and she also felt it was difficult working there after Gina was arrested. She told me she tried to avoid even seeing Mr and Mrs Stellion, and she thought they felt the same about her.’

‘Your own herb garden sounds a good plan, love. Yes, I’d like to see your mum having summat new in her life. She misses Gina and worries about her. A little business would give her summat else to think about.’

Ellen took a deep breath. Now was the time to say to Tom what she’d wanted to say for months.