Rooted in love

HELLO, little one!” Penny Dauntless greeted a robin-redbreast, who cocked his head as she pushed along her trolley of post on the daily round. “How often is there such a perfect mid-December morning?”

RUTH climbed the narrow path to Windlow Hill. She had a canvas bag in one hand and her mother’s old cardigan tucked under the other. Below, the village looked almost as it had in her childhood – white

Tara stared blankly at the Christmas tree. The fir was a last-minute purchase from the garden centre. She hadn’t decided whether to decorate it. In the armchair opposite hers, where Hugh would normall

MAUD had been looking forward to finally getting her decorations out again. And now with a whole afternoon at her disposal she was really going to savour the experience and make it something special.

TESS was the mother of three grown-up sons. So she had imagined a wedding in the family, and pictured herself there, many times. She had seen herself in a floaty chiffon dress, possibly in mint green,

GINNY glanced nervously at the tree and the gifts beneath it. She hoped she’d done the right thing. “It’ll be fine, love,” John said, putting an arm round her shoulder. “They’re our grandkids. They’ll