A Perfect Christmas

Chapter TWENTY-FOUR


At approaching seven-thirty that evening, Jan was showing Glen an uncompromising side to her nature he had not witnessed before.

‘A bit more to the left. No, not that much. To the right a bit. A bit more. No, that’s too much. A bit to the left . . .’

Having patiently endured what he felt was Jan’s misguided need for perfection for the last half an hour, he finally snapped at her in frustration, ‘What does it matter if it’s not perfectly straight?’

‘It matters to me,’ was her terse reply.

‘But this chair I’m standing on isn’t in the best of condition. I can feel it shaking beneath my weight. If I don’t get down off it soon I fear it will collapse and I’ll end up breaking my neck, not to mention having nothing to sit on.’

‘Well, the sooner you get it right, the sooner you can get down, can’t you? Now a bit to the left . . . a fraction more . . . another fraction more. Yes, that’s it! Push the drawing pin in quick before you move it again.’

Having satisfied Jan at long last, Glen clambered down off the rickety chair before she changed her mind and took it back into the kitchen.

Jan meanwhile walked over to the other side of the room and stood looking at it admiringly. ‘Looks very festive, don’t you think?’ she called to Glen, even though she knew that he disapproved of her spending just the couple of shillings she had out of the money she had taken from her soon-to-be-ex-husband’s poor fund, on the red and yellow rolls of crepe paper which she had twisted together to form ceiling decorations. Money was still tight for them as although they had been paid for the first time last Friday by Rose’s, their pay had been short as they’d only worked two days of the previous week and Rose’s paid a week in hand. It had just been enough between them to cover the rent and not much more. The pitiful-looking two-foot Christmas tree placed in front of the window, kept upright by mud packed around it in a rusting tin bucket that had been discovered under the sink when they’d moved in and draped in the remains of the crepe paper, was already beginning to shed what needles it had left on its spindly branches.

Having replaced the chair, Glen made his way over to join her. Regardless of his feeling that they should hang on to all the money they could, he had to admit that the bit of colour the trimmings and the tree provided did help bring a touch of cheer to the otherwise dull room. But he had more important things on his mind than Christmas decorations. He had something to tell Jan and she hadn’t given him chance so far, having commandeered him as soon as their evening meal had been cleared away, to help her with the decorations.

He said now: ‘That hand-delivered letter that was waiting for me when we got home . . . I opened it while you were cooking dinner.’

Jan looked at him keenly. She suspected this had something to do with the job he had gone after during his dinner hour yesterday, a storeman’s place at Byford’s clothing factory. She had been itching for him to open it and tell her the outcome. Typically Glen wanted to wait until they were seated by the fire before they discussed anything of note.

‘Did you get the job or not?’ she demanded.

He smiled. ‘I did. Their present man is retiring in the middle of January. They want me to start the week before so he can show me the ropes. Thankfully in the interview I wasn’t asked whether I had a criminal record. I presume they thought this would have been checked recently if I was already employed by a reputable company, and they accepted my excuse that I was only considering leaving Rose’s so soon because their job was better.’

‘Well, this means you can stop worrying about Nerys suddenly returning and discovering you in the building. It doesn’t matter if she sacks you now as you’ve another job to go to. Oh, this calls for a celebration! Pity we’ve no spare money for beer. We’ll have to make do with a cuppa. I’m certainly ready for one after putting up those decorations.’

He started to remind her that in fact it was he who had done that while she had stood issuing instructions, but before he could there was a knock on the door. They both looked at each other, wondering who could be calling on them at this time in the evening. They hadn’t made any new friends yet who would pay them a social call.

Then Jan thought she knew who their caller was. ‘It’ll be the landlord come to check if we’ve settled in all right. We haven’t seen him since we took on the flat, have we?’ As she headed for the door, she added, tongue in cheek, ‘Maybe he’s going to offer to give the place a freshen up? Replace the lumpy sofa and armchairs with something even a bit more comfortable.’

Glen thought he’d tidy away the debris from the decorations while she saw their landlord in. Jan opened the door, prepared to greet their landlord, but instead gawped in surprise to see Cait.

She meanwhile was hoping this visit would be more productive than her last had been. Whether the flat had been just perfect for her or not at all suitable, she had no idea. She had arranged to meet the landlord at six outside the house. By seven, when she was unable to feel her feet and hands for cold, he still hadn’t turned up and Cait concluded that he’d already let it before she arrived and hadn’t had the courtesy to stay around and tell her. She was disappointed at losing the prospect of her own place but also glad not to have got it because if the landlord didn’t give a thought to leaving someone out in the bitter cold waiting fruitlessly for him, then how would he treat his tenants? This did bring home to Cait, though, the fact that she needed to be free during the day in order to apply for accommodation as soon as she saw it advertised. She needed to seek a new job for herself, too, and attend interviews. The sooner a temporary manager was found, the better as far as she was concerned.

When she arrived at Mr Trainer’s door she was relieved to see a light shining and hear voices inside, as by now she was desperate to warm up. She smiled at the woman who answered the door to her and was just about to announce herself when a thought struck her. Cait knew she’d met this woman before, had some sort of dealings with her, but for the moment couldn’t place her. She said to Jan, ‘I really am so sorry to bother you but I need to speak to Mr Trainer about an urgent matter.’

Jan was having no trouble at all remembering her previous encounter with this young woman. It certainly hadn’t been a pleasant one. She wondered just what was so urgent as to bring the likes of Caitlyn Thomas out on a bitter night like this, and what the young madam would make of their humble surroundings.

She stood aside, saying to her visitor, ‘Please come in.’

Cait was only too glad to.

It was Glen’s turn to be surprised when he saw Cait arrive in the living room. He stood staring at her blankly for a moment, the same questions going through his mind. He noticed she was holding a bulky manilla folder and wondered what was in it. ‘Miss Thomas, very nice to see you,’ he greeted her politely.

She noticed Glen was holding some scraps of crepe paper and a pair of scissors. ‘Oh, I’ve disturbed you putting up your decorations,’ she said apologetically.

Jan shot him a look, telling him not to dare say that two strips of crepe paper and a spindly tree was it.

‘You haven’t at all, Miss Thomas. We’d decided we’d had enough tonight and would finish it off tomorrow evening.’

She said then, ‘You’ll be wondering why I’ve called. Well, I need your help, Mr Trainer, on a matter it wasn’t wise to discuss with you at work.’

He was intrigued. ‘Let me take your coat for you,’ he offered. She took it off and handed it to him. ‘Please, take a seat.’ He indicated the sofa, hoping she chose to sit on the part that wasn’t quite so worn and uncomfortable as the rest.

‘Would you like some tea?’ Jan offered, hoping Cait wouldn’t notice that the patterns on the second-hand cup and saucer did not match and nor did she have any biscuits.

Cait replied with enthusiasm, ‘I would very much, thank you.’ She took a seat on the sofa, far too glad to be near a fire after being out in the cold for so long to notice how uncomfortable it was.

Since she always had the kettle simmering on the stove, just off the boil, it didn’t take Jan long to make the tea. When she came through with two cups for them she said politely, ‘I’ll leave you to talk,’ and went into her bedroom.

After taking a much-needed drink from her cup and replacing it in its saucer, Cait said to Glen, ‘I’ll get to the point, Mr Trainer, as I don’t want to interrupt you for too long.’ She then reminded him of her agreement with the unions to put a qualified person in charge of the factory and explained that the post had been advertised in the Mercury. The responses were in the manilla folder she had with her. Cait ended by telling him, ‘Obviously I have no idea what qualifications I should be looking for in the candidates, so I wondered if you would take a look and indicate those you think have what it takes to fill the role. I’m sorry to put you to this trouble only you told me you’d run a business like Rose’s in the past and I haven’t anyone else I can turn to who knows the ins and outs like you do, Mr Trainer.’ She tentatively held out the folder of application letters towards him.

Glen made no attempt to take it from her, just looked at her thoughtfully for several long moments before saying, ‘In my opinion what you’re doing is a waste of time.’

She looked taken aback. ‘I don’t understand. I said I’d find someone better equipped to head the company in order to avoid the strike.’

He nodded. ‘Yes, and at the time I believed that was the right thing to do. But I don’t need to sift through these letters to know that none of the applicants will prove suitable. Any man with the right credentials to head a firm like Rose’s will already be employed in a similar capacity, and would only consider moving to another company if the job offered were a step up for him: bigger firm, more money, that kind of thing. They would not even consider leaving a permanent job for a temporary one that might only last a few weeks, on the remote chance it might be longer. I can guarantee you that all the men who have applied are shop-floor workers who think they have what it takes to run a company. One or two might even be right, but there’ll be no one with relevant experience. For the rest, the only reason they’re willing to take a temporary job is so they can make themselves a bit of money before their incompetence is found out. And even should I be wrong and one or even more of the applicants is just what the company needs, I doubt it’s possible to have someone in place this side of New Year.

‘By the time you’ve interviewed them and checked their backgrounds, if they are in work they’ll have to give notice and then you’re looking at the middle of January at least before they can start. Mrs Thomas will surely have returned from her holiday by then and might not approve of the man you’ve taken on or else decide to run the place herself, then the poor chap will be out of a job before he’s even started.’ Glen saw an opportunity to find out when Nerys planned to return and hoped he’d put his question to Cait in such a way she wouldn’t suspect there was anything more behind it than he was superficially asking. ‘Have you had word from Mrs Thomas as to when she plans to come back?’

Cait wondered why he would want to know, but regardless couldn’t bring herself to tell him that her mother wouldn’t consider her plans any of her daughter’s business. Besides, Nerys believed that she had moved out of the house by now, and was living independently, so her return wouldn’t be of any consequence to her daughter anyway. Cait shook her head.

Glen was sure he’d seen a momentary flash of sadness in the young woman’s eyes and wondered if matters were all as they should be between mother and daughter. Whether they were or not, though, was none of his business. He was just disappointed that he was still having to hang about for Nerys’s return before he could tackle her about Lucy. He said to Cait, ‘Well, I’ve never been abroad but I understand it’s not at all easy to telephone back home. Maybe Mrs Thomas has tried but couldn’t get a connection.’

She smiled. ‘Yes, that’s most likely the reason. My mother will have her hands full, though, as my father is not a well man and needs a lot of looking after. They’ve gone to a warmer country at this time of year, in the hope it would do him some good.’

So Nerys had married again. Seemed a bit of a coincidence, though, to Glen that the man she had married just happened to have the same surname as Nerys’s maiden one. He smiled at Cait. ‘Hopefully it will.’ He looked thoughtful. ‘When the union reps insisted you step aside for someone more capable of overseeing the company, they weren’t meaning you should go to the lengths of employing someone new. You could just appoint someone already employed by the company as caretaker till your mother’s return.’

Cait eyed him sharply and told him with conviction, ‘Mr Trainer, I may be young and naive but I did manage to work that out for myself. I asked you if you’d take on the job after finding out that you had the relevant experience, but when you made it clear you weren’t interested I asked Miss Trucker for her advice on who else she thought might fit the bill out of the current employees. It was her opinion that there wasn’t anyone. I didn’t know what else to do but look outside for the right person, in order to honour my agreement with the union.’

Glen inwardly smiled to himself. It was readily apparent that Caitlyn Thomas had been true to her word and had worked hard to change herself into a much more affable person, but he was glad to see that in the process she had not lost her spirit and did after all seem to have more than empty space in her head. He felt that with the right guidance and training, she showed the potential of being capable of running a business such as Rose’s. When he had owned the firm, like his father before him, he had always kept an eye on the younger members of staff and if any showed signs of possessing the ability to further themselves, he would encourage them to do so. Some had gone on to manage other firms, a couple even ran their own businesses. He wondered why Nerys hadn’t already begun the process with her daughter, starting her at the business and allowing her to work from the bottom up as his own father had done with him. Nerys must have had her reasons, he supposed.

Sensitive to her own behaviour nowadays, Cait was feeling mortified about the way she had just spoken. She had slipped back into her old haughty ways. She blurted out, ‘I’m sorry, Mr Trainer, I didn’t mean to speak so rudely to you.’

He smiled at her. ‘You didn’t. You were under the impression I wasn’t giving you credit for having any intelligence, you were insulted and decided to put me right. You did so very eloquently, without any show of your old attitude at all. You were obviously serious about changing your attitude and have worked hard on yourself to make that happen. To have come so far in such a short space of time, you deserve a pat on the back. Anyway, it should be me apologising to you for not giving you the credit you deserve for thinking of advertising the job when there was no one suitable to fill it in the company. It’s very commendable you wish to honour your agreement with the union.’

She sensed from his tone that, regardless, he did have an alternative suggestion. ‘I get the feeling that you think there is another choice, Mr Trainer? If I’m correct, I’d like to hear it, please.’

So she was astute as well, it seemed. She had been hiding all these good qualities in herself under a misguided display of superiority to others, but at least they were surfacing now. To Glen’s way of thinking it was better late than never. He hadn’t at all liked this young woman when he had first met her but found he was quite warming to her now. ‘You’re right, I do have another suggestion. Just carry on as you are until Mrs Thomas comes back. Now that you have started to work with the staff and not against them, the company isn’t suffering. From my observation as I go about my work in the factory, the foremen are keeping the workers in line and the workers are more concerned with their plans for Christmas than with what’s going off upstairs – and with keeping their noses clean so as not to risk losing their Christmas bonus. I’m sure Miss Trucker has her eye on the office staff, making sure all the work is kept up to date there. At this time of year most businesses are winding down until after New Year, except for the shops, of course. After New Year it’s slow for a few weeks while the retailers are getting rid of their old stock in their sales. Things don’t usually pick up until about mid- to end-January when some of the staff at Rose’s will be kept busy making sure the orders for the new spring stock are packed up and delivered to the customers in time. The rest meanwhile will be busy making summer shoes and ordering in the ready-made stock from abroad, while others are showing buyers our autumn designs for them to place their orders. The factory starts making those as soon as they’ve finished on the summer range. It’s a never-ending cycle, Miss Thomas. Your mother will surely be back by then.’

Cait looked confused. ‘But what about my agreement with the union representatives?’

‘Well, they’re under the impression that you’re doing your best to find someone suitable so, as far as they’re concerned, you are honouring your agreement with them. As long as the men they represent are happy with the way things are in the workplace, then they have nothing to grumble about.’

At the thought of the implications for herself of what Glen was suggesting, she said without thinking, ‘Oh, but then that means . . .’ Cait’s voice trailed off as she realised just what she’d been about to voice. That she wouldn’t be free to start getting her new life off the ground. Worse, that she’d have to stick around and see how her mother reacted to discovering she had dared defy her by staying in the house, and had even rummaged round in her parents’ bedroom as well as helping herself to money she had found in their safe. She just didn’t want to see them again, not now she realised how little they thought of her. Cait had never felt able to open up to others about her personal life, though, abiding by her mother’s rule that it was no one else’s business. Although she would very much have liked to share her burden with someone, hear that it wasn’t her fault her parents didn’t love her but a lack within them, she just couldn’t bring herself to.

She realised Glen was looking at her quizzically, waiting for her to finish what she had been about to say. She gave a small laugh and told him, ‘I’m sorry, my mind has just gone blank. I can’t remember what I was going to say.’

He would have believed her had she looked at him when she said it, but she didn’t, addressed the fire instead, and he noticed the look of great sadness in her eyes. He wondered what she could possibly be so sad over? Then he remembered Jan’s speculations about the called-off wedding, and wondered if it could have anything to do with that. He smiled and told her, ‘It happens to the best of us.’

Meanwhile, sitting in her bedroom, the blankets wrapped tightly round her to ward off the bitter chill in the unheated room, Jan wished the pair sitting by the fire, all snug and warm, would hurry up and finish their conversation so she could return and join them. She’d only been sitting on her bed at the most for twenty minutes but to Jan it felt like twenty hours. When she had made Glen and Caitlyn a cup of tea she had not been able to bring one with her into the bedroom as they only had two cups, and now Jan was desperate for a hot drink. Until their visitor showed signs of making her departure, though, it would be rude of her to go and interrupt them.

Taking her blankets along with her, Jan crept over to the door and put her ear to it. She could hear the muted sound of voices, which told her that Glen and Caitlyn Thomas were still deep in discussion. Then an idea struck her as to how she could have her cup of tea without appearing intrusive. She wasn’t being a very good hostess, was she, if she didn’t offer their guest another drink? Then, while she was making it, she could have one first, drink it quickly, then wash out the cup, refill both of them and take them through. Jan thought this was an ingenious idea.

Shrugging off the blankets, she came out of her bedroom and made her way to the perimeters of the living area. ‘Excuse me butting in; I just wondered if either of you would like another drink?’

She had crept in so quietly that neither of them had heard her. They turned their heads in surprise for a moment then both of them smiled at her.

Glen told her, ‘We’ve finished what we were talking about, Jan, so you’re not intruding.’ He flashed a look at Cait then. ‘We are finished, aren’t we? There isn’t anything else you need help with?’

She shook her head. ‘No, there isn’t, thank you. I can see the sense of what you advise.’ She looked at Jan, considering her question. It would take her at least an hour, maybe more, to get home, and Cait suspected it was colder now than it had been when she’d arrived. Having another cup of tea before she left would certainly help her brave the weather. ‘I hope I’m not overstaying my welcome, but I’d really like to accept your offer of another cup of tea before I set off home.’

Jan assured her, ‘Of course you’re not overstaying your welcome. It’s quite a journey to your house from here, isn’t it?’ Then she could have kicked herself, realising what she had thoughtlessly said, and knew she’d better say something more to cover it up before Cait asked her how she knew. ‘I mean, on a freezing night like this, any distance at all seems too long, doesn’t it?’

Cait nodded. ‘Yes, it does.’

Jan said, ‘I won’t be long with the tea.’

Glen got up from his chair and said to her, ‘You come and sit by the fire while I make the tea.’ He gave her a look that told her he’d already had one whereas she hadn’t.

Desperate for a warm, Jan didn’t argue with him. Sitting on the edge of an armchair, she held out her hands towards the fire for a moment then gave them a rub together before withdrawing them to rest demurely in her lap. She shot Cait an awkward smile. She wished now that their visitor hadn’t accepted the offer of another cup of tea and was on her way home so Jan herself could take off her slippers and rest her icy feet on the hearth, then lounge back in her chair to read an old magazine one of her colleagues at work had given her. She was also intrigued as to why Cait had called and hoped Glen would put her out of her misery soon. She’d no idea how to make small talk with someone half her age, and the boss’s daughter to boot. She could hear Glen clanking around in the kitchen and wished he would hurry up.

Cait meanwhile, with acute embarressment, had finally recognised Jan as the woman she had sacked for speaking out of turn about her mother that first morning she had gone into Rose’s. She wanted to apologise to Mrs Trainer for her own inexcusable behaviour. She took a deep breath and said, ‘I recognise you now, Mrs Trainer. You work at Rose’s too, don’t you? Look, I need . . .’

Jan was reluctant to revisit their unpleasant initial meeting so hurriedly replied, ‘Yes, I do. In the canteen. Next time I bring you up a tray of tea, I’ll make sure I add a nice cake for you.’ Then to change the subject, she said, ‘I think we’re in for some snow. It’s certainly cold enough for it, in my opinion.’

Cait was astute enough to realise that the older woman did not want to talk about their first encounter, so responded, ‘I wonder if we’ll have a white Christmas this year then?’

Jan nodded. ‘Mmm, yes, that would be nice. Traditional like.’

They both sat in silence for a moment, each seeking something to say next. It was Cait who thought of something first.

‘Have you finished all your present shopping or have you still some to do?’

Jan wanted to buy something for Glen. This would be his first proper Christmas since Cait’s mother had ripped his life apart so she was determined to make the day as special as she could for him. She was certainly looking forward to seeing his face when she told him on Christmas morning to look under the tree and see if Santa had left him anything, but just what that gift would be depended entirely on how much money she had left from her first full wage packet. There was barely anything over from the money she had purloined from Harry’s fund for the needy. She just responded, ‘Still got a bit to do. What about yourself?’

Cait had no one to buy a present for as matters stood. Then it struck her that maybe she should get a little something for Agnes as a thank you for all her kindness in Cait’s time of need. She responded to Jan, ‘Like you, still have a bit to do.’

The Thomases had money to spend so Jan assumed their Christmases would reflect that. ‘I expect Mrs Thomas pushes the boat out at this time of year, entertaining lots of family and friends.’ Then she remembered that Glen had told her Nerys was an orphan and Cait an only child, and forgot she wasn’t supposed to know this. In her need to keep the conversation flowing and avoid any awkward silence, she continued, ‘Oh, of course, your mother being an orphan and you an only child, I expect you’ll be going to a friend’s this year, won’t you?’

Cait frowned at her quizzically. ‘How did you know that my mother is an orphan . . . both my parents are, in fact . . . and that I am only child?’

Jan stared at her. How careless not to watch what she was saying ‘Er . . . well . . . you told me, didn’t you?’

Cait shook her head. ‘No, I didn’t.’

Jan gave a nervous laugh. ‘Well, I must have heard it at work. You know how it is, people like to gossip . . . makes them feel superior letting others know they know something the rest of us don’t.’ She hoped her explanation was enough to placate Cait and, not wanting her to think too deeply about it, asked again, ‘So friends, is it, you’re spending Christmas Day with?’

Cait could have lied to her, but what did it matter to this woman what she was actually doing on Christmas Day? ‘No, actually. I’ve decided to have a quiet time on my own this year. I’m really looking forward to it.’

But Jan noticed the way she averted her eyes to look into the fire when she said this, which made her wonder whether Cait was being truthful. To Jan’s way of thinking someone being on their own, whether by choice or not, on Christmas Day was a bleak prospect.

‘Christmas is a time for spending with others. It won’t be any fun eating dinner on your own . . . and who will you pull a cracker with?’ she protested.

Cait didn’t want to discuss this topic any longer as it was only serving to remind her that she was virtually alone in the world, except for her fledging friendship with Agnes. ‘Honestly, I really am looking forward to spending the day quietly, Mrs Trainer,’ she insisted.

Jan wasn’t convinced. ‘I don’t like the thought of anyone spending Christmas Day on their own, so all I’ll say is, if you should change your mind, then you are more than welcome to come here. Please don’t forget as I mean it. It won’t be the sort of day you’ll be used to, no expense spared so to speak, but we can at least provide company for you.’

Cait was very touched by Jan’s invitation. It was the first genuine offer of company she’d had. ‘Thank you, Mrs Trainer.’

Jan was feeling uncomfortable. ‘I have to tell you that I’m not Mrs Trainer, so it’s not right to let you keep calling me that. My name is Clayton. Janet Clayton. I prefer Jan to Janet, though. Me and Glen, well, we live together. I’m sure some people who know at the factory think we live in sin, but we don’t. We’re just friends, nothing more. We each have our own bedroom. We found ourselves in a position where we both needed somewhere to live but couldn’t afford places on our own, so we pooled resources.’

Cait was looking at her with interest. ‘What a good idea. Better than having nowhere to live.’

Jan said ironically, ‘Just a bit.’

The girl then mused to herself, ‘I shall have to consider getting someone to share with me if I can’t find a decent place I can afford on my own.’

She was speaking louder than she’d realised and Jan heard her. ‘You’re surely not thinking of leaving home just yet? You’re far too young to be fending for yourself.’

Cait stared at her blankly for a moment before she responded, ‘Well, we all have to make our own way in the world at some time, don’t we?’

Jan gave a shrug. ‘I suppose so. Your mother might not see it that way, though. I doubt she’ll let you leave without trying to get you to wait a little longer.’

An expression flashed over the young woman’s face then, one that Jan couldn’t quite read. She had no time to decipher it. As quickly as it had appeared it was gone. But she had definitely seen sadness and fear, she realised.

At long last Glen arrived with two steaming cups of tea rattling in their saucers as he tried not to spill any. Jan had never been so relieved to see him, grateful that her fight to keep the conversation flowing was at an end and now he could take over.

Ten minutes later Cait thanked him again for his help, and both of them for their hospitality, and took her leave.

After seeing her out, Glen returned to sit back in his armchair and looked at Jan for a moment. She was staring into the fire, seeming very thoughtful. Finally he asked her, ‘You all right, Jan?’

‘Eh? Oh, no, I don’t think I am.’

‘Have you a headache? I can pop to the corner shop and get you something for it, if you have.’

‘Ah, thanks, Glen, I appreciate that, but no, I haven’t got a headache. It’s just that . . .’

‘Just what?’

She sighed. ‘It’s just that I don’t think all is well there.’

He looked confused. ‘All’s not well where, Jan?’

‘With that young woman.’

‘In what way?’

‘Well, I can’t pinpoint it exactly. Just a couple of times when we were talking, I felt that she wasn’t being truthful.’

‘She was lying, you mean?’

‘No, she wasn’t lying. But, like I said, not being entirely truthful either.’

‘You’re making no sense to me,’ Glen told her, befuddled.

‘Well, for instance, we were discussing Christmas and she told me she really wanted to spend the day on her own, was looking forward to it, but all my instincts told me that she wasn’t one bit. That’s what I mean.’

Glen frowned thoughtfully. ‘Well, she told me that day in the office that she hadn’t got any friends. I suppose she hasn’t anyone else to spend Christmas Day with. She obviously felt embarrassed and didn’t want you to feel sorry for her.’

‘Mmm, yes, I suppose. I did say she was welcome to come here if it was company she was after, but I don’t expect she’ll take it up since we’re old enough to be her parents. But she’s also thinking of leaving home and I sensed that the thought of fending for herself terrified her. So why is she even thinking of doing it? And, Glen, that young woman has an air of great sadness about her. What could she have to be sad about? I mean, to me she’s living a charmed life. A nice house to live in . . . her mother looking after her.’ Jan’s face darkened then. ‘More than she’s doing for your daughter, Glen, after she promised you she’d take care of Lucy.’

He was thinking the same. ‘And all I want to do now is find my daughter and put this all behind us. Try and do everything I can to make up for lost time with her.’

Jan smiled at him. ‘Yes, you’re right. Hot milk?’

‘Yes, please. While you do that, I’ll see to heating the stone bottles to warm up the beds.’