To Rosalind’s surprise, Madame Planche accepted the invitation to join them for dinner next day. She even delegated Delfosse to help them carry the shopping back from the market. He obeyed reluctantly, as usual, but his presence as he lumbered along behind them acted like magic, clearing the crowds and keeping undesirables at bay. One look at him and even the boldest of the men roaming the streets kept their distance. Rosalind decided that Delfosse had his uses after all. When they returned to the château with baskets spilling over with all the good things necessary for a merry Christmas, Rosalind left Hester and Agathe to put everything away. She checked on Alex first, but he was sleeping peacefully and she placed the screen around his bed. Still wearing her outdoor clothes, she made her way to the hospital to sit with Piers for an hour. She was growing accustomed to talking to him without feeling ridiculous, and she told him about their plans for the next day, even going into detail about the two fine geese they had purchased for the Christmas feast. At one point she thought she saw his eyelids flicker and she jumped to her feet, moving closer to the bed while she waited for another sign. Nothing happened and she fought back tears of frustration and disappointment.

‘Piers,’ she said angrily, ‘stop playing games and wake up. You know you can hear me.’ She sighed, shaking her head. ‘Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. The best present you could give me is to open your eyes. I’m going now, but I’ll be back in the morning.’ She leaned over and dropped a kiss on his forehead.

When she awakened next morning Rosalind remembered that not only was it Christmas Eve, but it was the day that Patsy should have been walking up the aisle with Alex. Whereas now she would have to attend the wedding as an onlooker, there to witness their mother’s marriage to Claude. Rosalind could only imagine the scene at the castle with all the family tensions bubbling to the surface, and no one in overall charge of the arrangements. She pitied Bertie and Walter having to bear the brunt of their mother’s frustration and Patsy’s tantrums when things did not go quite to plan. It was the first time in Rosalind’s life that she would be spending Christmas away from Rockwood and it felt very strange. She slid out of bed, not wanting to wake Hester, who had still not plucked up the courage to sleep in her own room. It was bitterly cold and the fire had burned away to a pile of ash. Agathe’s first chore in the mornings was to light the fires but it was still early, judging by the dark sky with just a hint of dawn light filtering through the window.