‘It is! You don’t understand. She’ll hide it and pretend that what’s important is my health and what I want but inside she’ll be heartbroken. This couldn’t have happened at a worse time for her. And it’s all my fault. What am I going to do?’

There was a moment of stillness in the cubicle where both men looked at me and the only sound in my ears was the thumping of my heart. Toby’s face was calm and patient, giving me time to absorb the news. Jensen … well, I couldn’t read his expression but I bet he was wishing he’d accepted Clare’s offer to come with me and had left for his party as planned.

Toby handed me a wodge of tissues and scribbled some notes. ‘I’ll write a letter to your GP and you’ll need to make an appointment with the midwife,’ he said softly. ‘Find out how far along you are. And then you can consider your options.’

I nodded but even in my numb state, with a million thoughts running through my brain, I knew my options were limited. Despite this being Harvey’s baby and unplanned and all the obstacles which I’d no doubt have to overcome, I couldn’t have a termination. It might be practical and right for other people, but for me it would seem too cruel when my sister so longed for a baby. It would seem like flaunting not only my fertility but my ability to choose whether to have a baby or not in her face. Then again, how would she cope with seeing me getting a bigger and bigger bump over the coming weeks?

What a dilemma. I groaned with the shock of it all and dabbed at my tears.

Unless I didn’t tell her, of course … But I couldn’t think about this now, there was too much to take in, my head ached and all I really wanted to do was sleep.

Toby was waving a hand in front of my face. ‘Lottie?’

Jensen squeezed my fingers. ‘The doctor asked who your GP is.’

‘I’m registered with one in London. But I’ll go to the surgery in Fernfield.’

Jensen glanced sideways at me. ‘Is that where the father is, London?’

I shuddered. ‘Yes. Please, I don’t want to think about him now.’

‘You’ll have to tell him; he has a right to know.’

‘I’m aware of that,’ I snapped.

He held his hands up. ‘Sorry, none of my business.’

Harvey. I’d hoped he was out of my life for ever, but if I was to go ahead and have this baby, he and I would be eternally linked. What a depressing thought.

‘I’m so sorry you’ve got dragged into this.’ I shut my eyes.