‘Uncle Angus, Aunt Jenny,’ Claire said, grinning and opening her arms to them the next morning. ‘It’s so good to see you.’

They’d not been due to arrive until Monday but, hearing that Patrick had been in hospital, they’d changed their plans and come early. She hugged them and led them into the kitchen. ‘Mum will be down soon. I don’t think she slept too well.’

Claire had stayed the night with her mother at the farm on the pretext that there may be news from the ward. But really it was because she didn’t want to leave Shona alone. After Nick’s meal last night, they’d sat talking, drinking and reminiscing. Jason had taken Greta back to the Old Stables around ten as she was tired, and Claire asked if they wouldn’t mind taking Amy to bed too. Jason had obviously decided to turn in as well as he didn’t come back. The sea air always exhausted visitors. Callum, who’d had too much to drink, didn’t go back up to the Old Stables until around 2.30 a.m., saying he’d leave the door unlocked for Marcus and his mates. He had a knack of forgetting his keys.

‘Any news on Pat today?’ Jenny asked, rolling up the sleeves of her blouse. It was a beautiful morning and already getting warm.

‘Nothing yet. I’ll call the ward after nine.’ Claire made breakfast for her aunt and uncle, but she couldn’t help feeling a tug of sadness when she looked at Angus. He was a younger, healthier version of her father – his brother. He’d been a big part of her childhood, owning the village garage and petrol station before they’d moved away, and she’d spent many happy days serving at the pumps to earn pocket money in the holidays.

‘He’s a silly old bugger,’ Angus said, tucking into his breakfast. It was his way of showing concern. ‘Scaring us all to death like that.’

Shona joined them in the kitchen, holding out her arms fondly to her brother- and sister-in-law. ‘A silly bugger indeed,’ she said, catching their conversation. ‘It’s so good to see you both.’

Poor Mum, Claire thought, knowing how much she hated being separated from Patrick. She was as in love with him now as the day they’d met and had often said she couldn’t stand it if Patrick was the first to go. She reckoned she’d only be a short way behind him with a broken heart.

‘Callum doesn’t think discharge is likely to happen on a Sunday as he’ll need to see the consultant, who won’t be in until tomorrow.’ Claire hated seeing her mother’s face pale with disappointment. But when she phoned the ward an hour later, the news was not what they’d expected.

---

‘I can’t believe you didn’t hear all that noise in the night,’ Greta said, stretching out in bed. Jason had come back from the bathroom wrapped in a towel from the waist down. Half of him wanted to crawl back between the sheets with his wife – God he loved seeing her pregnant – but the other half wanted to know if there’d been any news about his father. Despite everything, it still mattered.

‘With the twins kicking and all that noise in the early hours, I hardly got any sleep.’ Greta dropped her head back down on the pillow, closing her eyes.

‘What noise?’ Jason hadn’t heard anything but that wasn’t unusual. Once he was asleep, he stayed that way.

‘Doors banging, giggling and laughter, then some kind of yelping or shouting. I went to the loo about half past five, but everything was silent by then.’

‘Stay in bed and I’ll make you some tea,’ Jason said, stepping into his jeans. He pulled on a T-shirt and left the bedroom, stopping on the landing to listen. All he could hear was soft snoring coming from Claire and Callum’s room, or possibly Marcus’s room. He couldn’t be sure. He suspected Greta had heard the kids coming back late, most likely a bit drunk, up to silly antics. Marcus’s friends were no doubt crashing here for the night. They’d have to get used to that themselves when the twins were teenagers, though he could hardly imagine a time so far in the future.

Russ greeted him with a thumping tail from his bed beside the Aga. Jason filled the kettle and put it on the hotplate, deciding to make Claire and Callum a cup too, knowing Claire would want to get to the hospital as soon as possible. He made toast for Greta because she was always hungry, and poured four mugs of tea, taking the whole lot upstairs on a tray. He put the tray on a chest on the landing, taking two of the mugs with one hand.

He pressed the latch of Claire’s bedroom door and gently eased it open. He didn’t want to wake them if they were still asleep. As his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, he stopped in his tracks, forcing himself to remain silent despite his mouth dropping open and the rising gasp in his throat.

When he was able to move again, convinced he wasn’t imagining it, he slowly reached into his back pocket and took out his phone, flicked it to silent, before holding it out in front of him with a shaking hand. Then he left the bedroom, closing the door quietly. He put the mugs back on the tray and leant against the wall, not knowing what the hell he should do.

---

‘What do you mean, he’s discharged himself?’ Shona was suddenly on her feet.

‘That’s what the ward sister said. Got himself up first thing and told them he was off. She said they couldn’t stop him.’ Claire felt so sorry for her mother. It was no wonder she wanted to sell the farm.

‘So why didn’t they call us immediately? Where is he now?’

‘Good questions,’ Claire said. ‘The nurse wasn’t particularly helpful and wanted to get me off the phone.’ She sighed. ‘I suppose this means I’ll be driving around looking for him. Knowing Dad, he’ll be walking home and getting lost rather than phoning any of us.’

‘Dear God, please don’t let him walk. It’s absolutely miles. Perhaps he called a taxi,’ Shona said. ‘Stupid old fool.’ She cupped her face in her hands. ‘He refuses to carry the mobile phone I bought him months ago.’

‘I didn’t even know he had a phone,’ Claire said, rolling her eyes.

‘He told me he lost it,’ Shona replied. ‘I’ve searched everywhere, but I think he probably threw it in the sea or something.’ She felt guilty for not buying him another one, but knew the same would happen.

Angus drained his mug. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll go out and search for him. You two have had enough on your plates. Call me if he turns up. I’ll check in at the hospital too, make sure he’s not still wandering around the wards.’

Claire nodded, thanking Angus. As he left, she was distracted by Maggie, who’d come down for breakfast. Her eyes were ringed with last night’s make-up and she was wearing an old T-shirt and baggy tracksuit bottoms. Her hair stuck out in sleep-mussed clumps.

‘Morning all,’ she said, stretching and wincing. ‘One too many, I think.’ Claire filled her in on the news about Patrick. She’d give it a couple of hours, but would have to call the police if too much time passed.

‘Coffee?’ she said, handing Maggie a mug.

‘Thanks. I reckon that wherever Rain is right now, she’ll need a bucketload of this stuff to get her going.’ She laughed, wrapping her hands around the mug.

‘Isn’t she up in her room, then?’ Claire noticed the slightly concerned look in Maggie’s eyes.

‘No, she’s not.’ Maggie sat down at the table, her shoulders rounded as if there was a weight pressing down. ‘She didn’t come back last night.’

---

Jason sat on the bed while Greta ate her toast, crumbs falling onto her bump. ‘Quick, feel them kicking.’ She took his hand and pressed it against her side. ‘It’s an elbow or heel.’ She pushed the remainder of the slice into her mouth. ‘Thanks for this. You’re a star.’

‘Sorry?’ Jason said, suddenly aware that his hand had been placed on Greta’s belly. He could feel one of his babies doing cartwheels.

‘What’s up, Jase? You’ve been quiet ever since you came back upstairs.’

‘Nothing. I’m fine.’ He forced a smile. ‘I wonder what Claire has planned today.’ He sipped his tea. ‘There’s talk of a beach picnic. Maybe a meal out later.’ Jason swept back the curtains, aware he was gabbling. The sun streamed in through the window. ‘A beautiful day for a walk, look.’

‘Then why didn’t you ask her about plans?’ Greta said. ‘When you took her tea in just now?’

Jason paused, cup halfway to his lips. ‘She must have got up early. She wasn’t in bed.’

‘Maybe she was in the shower.’ Greta eyed the two cups of tea going cold on the tray. ‘Shall I take them in now?’ She made to get out of bed.

‘No, no, Callum was still asleep. I think he had… you know, a bit too much to drink last night, judging by the way he was snoring. Best leave it.’

Greta nodded slowly. ‘Is your dad still on your mind?’ she asked. ‘Is that why you seem distant?’ She knew him too well.

Jason nodded. ‘Yes, yes, you’re right. That’s it.’

‘I know I wasn’t a part of your life when you fell out with him, but don’t you think now would be a good time to make up, with all this hospital business?’

‘You’re probably right.’ Jason sighed into his mug, grateful for the change of tack. ‘But you know what he’s like.’

‘What he’s like, or what you’re like?’ Greta put a hand on his shoulder, pressing her fingers into the knotty muscle. ‘Do you know how poor we’d be if I held grudges and never made that phone call or sent that email to clients who’d pissed me off? What else is life about, Jase, if not maintaining relationships?’

Jason looked at his wife. She was beautiful, powerful and wise, but then his phone was buzzing in his back pocket so he answered it, relieved to see it was Claire. He listened intently as she told him how their father had walked out of hospital against medical advice.

‘Oh, and have you seen Marcus this morning?’ she asked, sounding concerned.

‘Hang on,’ he said, going across the landing to check his room. ‘He and his mates are dead to the world,’ he told her, almost hearing the relief down the line.

‘I don’t suppose you’ve seen Rain, have you?’ Claire continued. ‘Maggie said she didn’t come back last night.’

Jason stared out of the window, watching a lone cloud scudding across a clear sky. ‘No, sorry,’ he said. ‘I haven’t.’ Before he hung up, he told her that they’d be up to the farmhouse soon, though he couldn’t be sure the words came out entirely right.