at the table in the sitting room and worked on the jigsaw puzzle. With their heads down and their bodies almost touching, they pieced together the picture that Dennis had so lovingly crafted. Instinctively, Daisy and Suze conspired. They collected clusters of pieces that went together and casually placed them in front of their mother. Oblivious to what her daughters were doing, Marigold studied the pieces, compared them for colour and form and, with a rush of pleasure, fitted them together. To her surprise and delight, she was able to complete a small section of the picture on her own. ‘It’s a cat slipping on the ice,’ she gasped, staring down at the black-and-white cat. ‘He looks just like Mac. Do you think that’s why Dennis chose the picture?’
Daisy caught Suze’s eye and they both smiled. ‘I think Mac would be just as useless on the ice,’ she said.
Marigold laughed. ‘If Mac’s in the picture, Dennis can’t be far away. I’m going to look for him now.’
‘They’re inseparable, aren’t they?’ Daisy mused with a chuckle.
‘Where there’s one, there’s always the other,’ Marigold added.
‘This is fun, isn’t it, Mum?’ said Suze, sliding the pieces that made up a couple in front of her mother.
‘Thank you for helping me,’ Marigold said. ‘I couldn’t do this without you.’
‘We’re a good team,’ said Daisy.
‘Ah! Look what I’ve found!’ Marigold seized upon the pieces in front of her and snapped them into place with growing confidence. ‘A couple!’
‘You and Dad,’ said Suze.
‘Could be, couldn’t it?’ Marigold agreed.
‘They’re holding hands, just like you and Dad,’ said Daisy.
Marigold’s smile wavered a little. ‘Trust Dennis to find such a beautiful picture.’ She traced it with her fingers. ‘He’s good like that, isn’t he?’
‘He is,’ Daisy agreed. ‘He’s the best.’
‘Now we have to find me and Daisy,’ said Suze.
‘And Nan,’ Daisy added with a giggle.
They glanced over to where Nan was asleep on the sofa.
‘She’ll be on her back in the snow, having slipped,’ whispered Suze.
‘Complaining,’ Daisy added.
The three of them laughed and Marigold felt normal again. Perhaps Nan was right, after all. If she stopped being anxious, it might just go away.
Chapter 16
Daisy spent the next few days playing with Julia Cobbold’s terrier in preparation for his portrait, and helping Lady Sherwood with the funeral arrangements. She did the seating plan for the church and printed labels for those who required reserved seats. She kept up with the growing list of those wanting to come and proofread the order of service. On top of that she walked Lady Sherwood’s dogs and managed to entice Taran to join her, even in the rain. Taran was not interested in talking about the farm, the woods or the beauty of the countryside, so Daisy gave up trying to steer him in that direction and hoped that, by being exposed to it, he might grow to love it as she had. After all, it belonged to him now. However, he never discussed his inheritance, or what he intended to do with it. They chatted about many things and enjoyed a light banter, but Daisy soon realized that, in spite of the time they spent together, she knew Taran little better than when she had first met him. He just wasn’t someone who enjoyed talking about himself and his feelings. He didn’t talk much about his father, either. He deftly skirted around the subject with what appeared to Daisy to be a well-practised art of avoidance, and she wondered whether he had developed that skill over years of eschewing emotions. The British stiff upper lip wasn’t something she had encountered until now. Taran was funny, charming, witty and kind, but he could also be remote and cold.
Daisy compared him to Luca, who was fiery and emotional, with a penchant for drama and exaggeration. Taran was phlegmatic and dry-humoured, and she doubted he exaggerated anything. Both men were creative and intelligent, however, with a strong sense of who they were and who they wanted to be. She had always liked that about Luca. He wasn’t a crowdfollower and he wasn’t concerned about what other people thought. He was unashamedly himself. She sensed Taran was like that too.
She was gazing out of the studio window, thinking of Taran and how unfathomable he was, when her phone rang. She had recently chosen a dog-bark ringtone and it gave her a sudden shock. For a split second, she thought there was a dog in the room. She was surprised to see Luca’s name on the screen. After