Belinda could see her mum was close to tears. She’d never seen her in such a state before. Her dad never, ever lied, always said he couldn’t abide people who told lies, so what was that all about? She’d sighed and walked over to her dad, gave him a hug and said quietly, ‘I’ll go with her for now, but I’ll come back tomorrow and talk to you.’ When he shook his head, she insisted, ‘Yes I will.’

‘Belinda! Now!’

‘Okay. I’m coming. See you sometime tomorrow, Dad.’

She’d pretended not to see the knowing look that passed between her parents as she got in the car and pulled her seat belt on.

‘So where are we staying? Please not Agatha’s!’

‘We’re catching the evening ferry and going to live in England,’ her mother had answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world to be doing. She’d started the car and turned the wheel slowly until the car was facing down the drive.

A jolt had gone through Belinda’s body at her mother’s words and she’d felt physically ill. ‘What? I don’t want to live in England,’ she’d shouted and struggled to undo her seat belt as her mother revved the car and started to drive down the lane. ‘Stop the car and let me out. I want to stay here. You’ll ruin my life if you take me to England.’ Belinda forced down the bile that was forming in her throat at the thought of losing touch and not seeing her dad regularly.

‘No I won’t. I’m giving you a new one. You’ll soon get used to living in England. And the fact we’re never coming back.’ As the words sank into Belinda’s brain, her mother had wound down the car window and yelled at her husband, ‘I hate you. I’ll never forgive you and I’ll make sure Belinda doesn’t either.’ She’d revved the car even harder, spinning gravel from out under the wheels as she sped down the lane.

Belinda took a deep breath.

‘The next day when we arrived in Devon and the knowledge that the only life I’d ever known and wanted was over sank into my numb brain, I was finally physically sick.’ As she finished telling Fern the sorry tale, Belinda’s voice cracked. ‘She never did forgive him, she refused to tell me the whole truth about what had happened or to let me contact him. This is the first time I’ve been back to Brittany since we left.’

Fern stared at her. ‘Belinda, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say. My marriage didn’t have the most civilised of break-ups, but I did try to make sure the children had a relationship with their dad.’