"Suddenly the door flew open – startled and incredulous, Mary leapt up to embrace the man standing at the open doorway. She had been absorbed in watching the flames of a fire lit in defiance of the damp evening - her thoughts revolving around the long months she and this man had been apart, the obstacles there had been to their future together and whether she would ever see him again. Now, as she embraced him, Mary felt her anxiety ebb away, until all that remained was the realisation that Roland had returned to her and their life together could begin."