‘You know I wouldn’t deliberately get into an argument with him about anything like that,’ Ella groaned. ‘Jada was saying how she hoped we picked a villa with a swimming pool in France for our summer hols. Julie said she preferred Italy. They’re gas, aren’t they? It’s far from villas with swimming pools you and I were reared. Dad asked when we were going and I said late June, and Jada – wouldn’t you know it would be her – piped up and said we’d better wait until after the referendum.

‘ “You won’t be able to vote, if they hold one,” Dad told her, and she eye-rolled him! Imagine you or I doing that to him when we were her age. And then she said, “I know that, Granddad, but Mum and Dad will be entitled to vote, and we’ll need every Yes vote we can get!” We’ll! Even though I was mad with her for mentioning it, I loved her sense of ownership of the issue,’ Ella said proudly.

‘Ooohhhh! I’d say that went down well,’ Marie-Claire exclaimed.

‘He nearly had a heart attack. “I sincerely hope your parents won’t be voting to kill babies,” he said. “I didn’t raise your mother to be a murderer!” ’

‘Oh God! How horrible. Was there uproar?’

‘That doesn’t even begin to describe it. Jada leapt to her feet and shrieked at him, “Don’t you dare say things like that about Mum! She’ll be voting to give women choice so no woman has to travel to another country for something that might save her life if she’s in difficulties, because our own country won’t look after her, or me and Julie, if anything happens to us. How would you feel if I was raped! Would you want me to keep the baby?”

‘ “Yes, I most certainly would,” he roared back at her. “We’d all look after you. And don’t you be so cheeky to me, madam!”

‘Wow! I wouldn’t be that brave, arguing with your da. Well done, Jada!’ Marie-Claire approved, highly impressed at her godchild’s nerve.

‘I know. In fairness, I was very proud of them, but I didn’t want them involved in a shouting match with their grandfather, not with poor Mum in tears over it all, so I said, “Enough! This subject is not to be discussed here again. Let’s go.” ’

‘Probably the wisest course of action.’ Marie-Claire nodded.