They had arranged for the funeral to take place in Richmond because that was where Doug had lived. At the wake after the burial, which was held in a private room in a local pub, Mrs Sands told May how sorry she was that they had met in such sad circumstances, but that she was very glad Doug had found someone to love him. ‘Unfortunately our son was not an easy person to get along with,’ interrupted her husband loudly. ‘He must have got along with May, dear,’ his wife pointed out bravely. ‘Or she wouldn’t have agreed to marry him.’ ‘Moodiness makes you bad company,’ put in Mr Sands as though his wife hadn’t spoken. ‘I was always telling him about it when he was growing up.’ ‘You do know that your son died saving my father’s life, don’t you?’ said May, fiercely defensive of Doug because Mr Sands seemed to be so critical. ‘Yes, I am well aware of that, and very courageous it was too,’ he confirmed. ‘I was not suggesting that my son wasn’t a good man; just not an easy one.’ ‘So you must be very proud of him for his bravery,’ said May pointedly.
