Danny shook his head. ‘It’s too warm. Anyway, we’ll have tea coming out of our ears at the do after. That’s unless Jack or Eddy have brought back some rum – that would improve things.’

Kitty pulled a face.

‘Still not a fan of the odd tot then?’ Danny teased. ‘Go on, it’ll put hairs on your chest.’

Kitty picked up a tea towel and flicked it at him. ‘Away with you, Daniel Callaghan. I know you’d think it very funny if I got squiffy in front of everyone on my first weekend back home, but I don’t think so. Besides, as the godmother I’m meant to be on hand to help out for any emergency. Come to think of it, so are you.’

Danny shrugged. ‘Stands to reason they would ask you first. I’m meant to help out when she’s older, with sage advice, and by giving her money at Christmas and birthdays.’

Kitty raised an eyebrow. She knew that – while Danny was fond enough of young children – he really preferred them once they were old enough to hold a conversation. She turned her thoughts to a more pressing worry.

‘Danny, what are we going to do about our Tommy?’ she asked quietly, as their young brother was upstairs getting changed into his one clean shirt. They had insisted he did this at the last minute, or else it would be filthy by the time he got to church. Tommy had protested that he wasn’t like that any more, he wasn’t a little kid, but they’d taken no chances. To her, he was still her baby brother – although she’d had quite a shock when she’d seen him as he was now: taller, his boyish face changing into that of a young man, a new restless look in his eye. Perhaps he really had outgrown all that life on the farm could offer him.

‘I don’t know,’ Danny confessed. ‘What do you think?’

‘Danny!’ Kitty was exasperated. She’d been back home five minutes and already he expected her to take charge of things, just like when they were younger. ‘It’s not down to me. We should work out if we’re going to be here for enough time between the two of us to look after him. I know he thinks he’s grown-up now, but he’s not. Also, just so’s you know, I’m going to be working flat out at all hours, and I might not be able to do all the cooking and cleaning, so there’s that to consider.’