“I know. But talking about friendships, how worried should we be about Zoe and Cally?”

“Friendship issues are part of life. They’ll sort it out.”

“I hope you’re right.” Connie sank onto the nearest chair. “Milly didn’t eat breakfast. This is all Richard’s fault. I want to hurt him. I never thought I’d say a thing like that out loud.” Her voice shook. “I didn’t know I could feel this way, but I do.”

“If that woman he ran off with has made him turn vegetarian, he’s probably already being punished, so I wouldn’t worry too much.” Peggy chuckled. “The thought of Richard having to choke down a chickpea burger or a tofu stir-fry cheers me up.”

It didn’t cheer Connie up. “How can he be so unkind to Milly? Telling her that he’s choosing to go for a romantic dinner instead of taking his child to her drama class as planned?”

“He’s a man-child, with no sense of responsibility.”

“But it’s as if he is trying to hurt her. And why? He’s already left her. He doesn’t need to keep making it worse. What has she ever done except be loyal to him? He never used to be like this. I don’t understand what has happened to him. It’s almost as if he wants her to hate him.” She realized that her hands were shaking. “I’m scared of seeing him face-to-face because at the moment I truly want to kill him.”

Peggy stood up and patted her shoulder before clearing the table. “I know, and I understand why you would feel that way, but don’t kill him. You have your whole life ahead of you. If anyone is going to do it, I will.”

“You?” Picturing her mother as a murderer took some of the heat out of Connie’s emotions. “How? You’re going to stab him with your knitting needle? Impale him with your walking pole?”

“Maybe. I’ve always been clumsy, as you know. Or maybe it will be a car accident. My driving isn’t as good as it was, so maybe I might not see him if he happens to be crossing the road.” Peggy loaded the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher. “I haven’t decided, and when I do decide I won’t be sharing it with you, or that will make you an accomplice, and Milly and Zoe need you. I might get away with it. I’ll plead diminished capacity. If they saw me trying to remember where I parked my car in the supermarket they wouldn’t have any trouble believing it. On a bad day I don’t even have to fake confusion. And anyway, what can they do to me? Send me to prison for life? At my age I’ll croak on them before they’ve turned the key in the door.”