Usually Gilly was delighted when Martin showed any interest in Helena’s work. However, today, she’d have very much preferred to go early, on her own, help Helena for a bit, and then go home when she felt she was no longer useful. She hadn’t heard back from William and now felt foolish for having invited him. Cressida even tried to make her leave behind the box of snacks she’d made.

‘Does she need the empty calories?’ she’d asked, eyeing Gilly’s basket critically as they got in the car. ‘Biscuits are just an evil combination of sugar and fat and Helena already has a sedentary occupation.’

‘Yes, she does need them,’ said Gilly, possibly more sharply than she’d intended. ‘And she may want to share them with people.’

‘Put the basket in the boot, then,’ said Cressida.

‘It’s fine on my knee. Do you mind if I go in front? I have a slight tendency to car sickness if I’m not driving.’ She kept the cool bag with three bottles of Prosecco near her too. Cressida was sure to disapprove of that.

Thus, she had managed to annoy her daughter-in-law before they were hardly out of the house. Usually she avoided it but just occasionally she couldn’t resist asserting herself, just a little.

Cressida and Martin spent the journey to the exhibition discussing the benefits of private education, not Gilly’s favourite topic. Her ex-husband’s parents, who liked to be known as Gan-gan and Pops, cheery names that completely belied their very formal way with their grandchildren, had gone on about private education a lot. They seemed to think that Martin and Helena would have hugely benefited from being sent to ‘a jolly good boarding school where they’ll make friends who’ll be useful to them all their lives’.

Martin, rashly in Gilly’s opinion, referred to this now. ‘Dad’s parents were always sad we weren’t privately educated, I know that.’

‘Yes,’ said Gilly, ‘they were of the opinion we should sell the house – my house – and live in a hovel to fund your private education. But that’s not the route you’re going down, is it? Mind you, I think you’re absolutely right! Education isn’t only what goes on in school hours; at least half of it goes on in the home. In my opinion.’

Gilly spent the rest of the journey looked pointedly out of the window. No one said anything else until Cressida noticed an AA sign to the venue.

‘It must be quite a big deal, this show,’ she said. ‘Good for Helena, getting in.’

Gilly softened towards her daughter-in-law by a millimetre.

Gilly was buying tickets when Leo came up to her, full of bonhomie and no sign of awkwardness. He kissed her cheek. ‘This is such a lovely occasion, supporting Helena as a family.’