‘Mum is really good at crumbles,’ said Helena, trying not to look hostile. She didn’t feel hostile at all, but after her reaction to Leo she worried that her mother would assume she hated anyone Gilly went out with. Or had an intimate little supper in the kitchen with, even.

‘And cakes!’ said William. ‘She made me the most amazing birthday cake, a bird’s-eye view of the landscape with a glider hovering over it.’

‘Oh, I saw the cake!’ said Helena, privately cross with herself for not asking at the time who it was for. ‘It was brilliant! It actually inspired a wall hanging I’m doing for a big show.’

‘Why don’t you sit down and have some crumble and a glass of wine and tell us about it?’ said Gilly.

Helena realised her mother was constitutionally incapable of turning away a potentially hungry person. Cooking and feeding people was so important to Gilly that Helena wondered if it was a way of compensating for her unhappy marriage and subsequent divorce.

‘I’ll just have a quick bath if that’s OK?’

‘I made a spare crumble for you anyway,’ said Gilly.

‘Oh, Mum! You’re so kind!’

‘I know Jago likes my cooking,’ said Gilly as if achieving this situation was somehow challenging.

‘Who wouldn’t?’ said William.

‘You’d be surprised,’ said Helena. ‘Not everyone appreciates Mum’s skill with butter and sugar. Now don’t let me disturb you any more. I won’t be long.’

As she went up the stairs Helena realised that in spite of her cheery words she was in a state of mild shock. Coming home to find her mother entertaining a man was the last thing she ever expected. And while she didn’t disapprove of her mother having another man-friend, really quite soon after she’d got rid of Leo, now she’d had a few minutes to get used to the idea, William was her accountant. Wasn’t that a bit odd? Was it even legal? And making him that cake? She knew her mother loved baking but would she go to all that trouble for someone she didn’t care about? No, not even Gilly would do that. And she deserved all the happiness that came her way. No, it was fine for her to go out with whoever she liked, as long as they’d never nearly killed them in a car.

Up in the bathroom, she was pleased to see her mother had stocked up on her favourite bath oil and there were a few candles around the edge of the bath. Helena was about to light them and luxuriate when she suddenly wondered if her mother had planned to light them at another time, when she was not alone!