"Where on earth have you been?" Ida practically screeched as she watched her husband guide the trap into the barnyard, her eyebrows raised high.

Janet stood behind her doing much the same thing.

"Oh, give him a break," said Peter, disappearing inside the big house.

Pete the elder jumped down from the trap and walked into the small house without a word.

"Did you hear me?" said Ida, rushing after him. "I said, where have you been?"

"Getting to know our new son-in-law," her husband replied, removing his coat and hat and hanging them on the hook.

"Against Anna's express wishes!"

"Last time I checked, daughters don't tell their fathers what to do."

"Wives do!"

Pete frowned at her as he sank into his chair. "It was fine. She only told me not to go there because she wanted to molly coddle him, thought I'd be too hard on him. Well he's a man, he can handle it."

Ida sat down on the settee. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"What did you think of him?"

Pete frowned thoughtfully. "Well…Courting a pretty young woman while you're married to somebody else is not on, that's not on at all. But he said that, he admitted he did the wrong thing. And he said that she was never his mistress."

"No, love, Anna wouldn't do that."

"She would, she said so, remember?"

Ida gritted her teeth. She'd tried to forget that.

"He said he would only do what was best for her, and I suppose all I can do is take him at his word. It's not as if I have a choice."

"You'll accept him?"

"I have to, to keep the peace with Anna! I wouldn't if he was a blaggard, though, if he was bad for her I would stop this, but…"

"But he's not, is he? He's a nice man."

"I wouldn't let her have any less."

...

Anna rushed from shop to shop, enjoying the purpose and the freedom and the fresh air. Well, she told herself that she was enjoying the freedom from people's pitying looks, but she got plenty of those in the village too. She'd always enjoyed fresh air and walking around the village and the estate, but these days she was usually too pre-occupied to appreciate it. Still, quite a few of the staff had given her errands to run, and she was enjoying the purpose.

Emerging from the tiny chemist, she was finally done, but she didn't want to go back to the house just yet. She'd planned to take a detour via the lake, as she did whenever she felt she needed time alone for her thoughts, but, feeling guilty and not wanting anyone to find out that she was slacking off, she walked towards the lake with the same purpose as she had walked to the shops, as if she had important business there.

As she walked through the small tree-lined park next to the main street, a voice stopped her.

"Hello, Anna."

Anna turned and looked at the man standing by the tree she had just passed. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Her tone was not accusatory, just anxious. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh yes, yes," her father replied. "I just wanted to see you."

"Why?"

"Actually, your husband sent me."

Anna's eyes widened in horror. "What have you been-"

"It's alright, it's alright, I was pleasantly surprised!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm sorry for what I said to you. I just…I just didn't understand."

Anna rustled her bags anxiously, not sure what to think of this. Surprise was her foremost thought. Her father never apologised. "Do you understand now?" she asked.

"Somewhat."

Anna nodded, but her expression was still one of incredulity.

"I just don't want you to suffer, love. I thought I'd try to get you out of it."

"You can't."

"I know."

"Wait, get me out of the marriage or get me out of the suffering? Because the marriage is not what's causing the suffering, believe me."

"I know. I made a mistake there. I'm sorry."

"Good."

"I just want to help."

"Well, thankyou, but…" Anna sighed, then frowned. "What did you say to John, were you hard on him?"

"No harder than I was on you. He held up very well, I thought."

"Held up? What did you say to him, did you interrogate him?"

"Only what I would do to any man who wants to marry my daughter – if you'd ever introduced him to me beforehand, I'd have done exactly the same thing. Got to make sure he's right for you."

"And?"

"And he held up pretty well. His heart's in the right place, anyway."

Anna knew that for her father, that was a compliment, so she left it at that.

"I got you something, here." Pete pulled a small paper bag out of his pocket and handed it to Anna.

She opened it, and smiled. "Liquorice allsorts. Thankyou."

"Are they still your favourite?"

"One of them." She popped one into her mouth. "Ooh, they're not bad. Do you want one?" She held the bag out to him.

Pete grinned, and took one. "Memories, eh?"

"Indeed."

They turned and began to walk back into the village. Anna was silently eating her sweets. Pete found he didn't know what to say next.

"Would you…?" he faltered.

"Would I what?"

"Would you like to have tea with me? Do you have time?"

Anna looked at the clock above the train station. It was earlier than she thought. "Yes, I do," she said.

...

They stepped into the small tea shop next to the station. Pete pulled out all the stops, ordering Anna the most elaborate cake in the shop.

"Dad, you shouldn't have!" Anna scolded. "How am I going to eat all that?"

"Try," Pete replied. "I don't get many chances to spoil a pretty young girl these days, it's my pleasure."

"What about Eileen?"

"She's too young for cream cakes. If you give it to them when they're too young, they make a mess."

Anna laughed. "What about Janet?"

Pete thought for a moment. "I may have bought Janet a cream cake once. I can't quite remember."

"You can't remember?"

"I think I did. You'll have to ask her."

"I do wish I could see you all more often."

"So your John said…He said he'd like to buy a hotel, for you both to run."

Anna smiled, and nodded.

"Well, if you do, you should…you should buy one close to us."

"That would be good!"

"The thing is, he… The thing with his leg, he can't really lift things, can he?"

"He's strong. Very strong. He can move things around, it's only when that necessitates putting weight on his bad leg that it's a problem."

"Yeah, well, you need both legs to lift a heavy thing. Like a beer barrel, for example."

"Well, I could help him."

"No you couldn't, Anna, a firkin barrel is nine gallons!"

"We could lift it together. He has the strength, I have the sturdy legs!"

"Well, if you buy a pub close to us, I'll help you."

Anna grinned.

"So you…I mean, you've been…"

"Been what?"

Pete shook his head.

Anna smiled. "You can ask me whatever you like, Dad."

"No, no. It's none of my business."

"Did you want to ask me a question about John?"

Pete shook his head again, and then turned to look out the window.

"He was my friend for a long time."

Pete's head turned back. "Your friend?"

"Yes. A good friend. I realised fairly early on that I'd fallen in love with him, and I told him so, but there wasn't really anything we could do… He was honest with me, I knew…about his wife and everything."

"This is all very unconventional."

Anna chuckled. "Yes! It is! But we didn't do anything wrong."

"He said you…" Pete trailed off, and frowned again.

"I what?"

"I was…a bit surprised, that's all."

"John said I what?"

"He said he tried to push you away, and you…"

Anna smiled. "I pursued him? Yes, I did."

Pete's eyes were roaming all around the room, looking everywhere but at his daughter.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"Just hadn't pictured you doing that, that's all."

"I should hope not!"

"Did you mean what you said about…"

"About what?"

"About…" Pete leaned closer, lowering his voice. "…living in sin."

"I was prepared to do that if that's what it took. We already had all other elements of a married relationship – love, trust, shared decisions, a shared life, a shared future – we had everything except the bit of paper saying that we were married. I thought it wouldn't be too big a step to live together as man and wife, just without the bit of paper. I didn't think it would be wrong, when we had everything else. It would have been a last resort, but I was prepared and willing to do it."

Pete had become very interested in the pattern on the tablecloth. All Anna could see was the top of his head. She decided to continue.

"John disagreed. Said he wouldn't do that to me, said it wasn't right. I offered it to him repeatedly, but he wouldn't accept it."

"Repeatedly?"

"Yes, I remember the first time I said it, that was in 1916…then I said it again in 1917…and a few times last year. Vera had finally destroyed the divorce proceedings, the judge had thrown it out of court, and John was devastated, he thought it meant we couldn't be together, and I said, 'No, it doesn't mean that, nothing will stop me being with you.' I said we didn't need the bit of paper, but he said no. He said he would not disrespect me." Anna sighed, remembering the incredulity she'd felt when she'd heard those words, and the silent vow she'd make to keep working on him until he'd agreed. But she wouldn't tell her father that.

Pete was nodding, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"So you see, Dad, you've got nothing to worry about. My husband is a very honourable, respectable, and selfless man. Just the sort you like."

"Do you think he'll get off?"

Anna's breath caught in her throat, just slightly. "I'd rather you didn't phrase it like that. But yes. I'm sure he will."

"If he doesn't… I'm here for you, alright?"