I did as I was asked and Hugh put the ends of the stethoscope in his ears. I looked at the pale curve of my tummy. I promise to put you first from now on, little one. Please give me a kick, hard as you can.

‘Ek is lief vir jou,’ Jensen whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of my face.

‘That’s what you said in the letter,’ I said weakly. ‘What does it mean?’

‘I love you.’

I thought my heart would explode. ‘I love you too.’

‘And I love you too,’ Evie cried, collapsing on to a chair.

I drew in a breath as Hugh moved the cold stethoscope across my skin, a slight frown on his face. He nodded, pulled the earpiece from his ears and grinned.

‘The heart’s beating like a drum. Baby sounds fine.’

‘Thank God.’ I squeezed my eyes tight and let out the breath I’d been holding. I’d been such a fool, taking my health for granted. From now on, I promised myself, I’d be a model mother-to-be.

Beside me I heard Jensen exhale steadily too as his grip on my hand tightened. Evie burst into tears and I reached out to rub her arm.

‘If anything had happened,’ she began, gulping noisily.

‘But it hasn’t,’ said Jensen in a shaky voice. ‘It hasn’t.’

‘And the bleeding?’ I asked, pulling my T-shirt back down. ‘Are you sure the baby is not in danger?’

Hugh sat back on his heels. ‘Could be due to a number of things. Best get to hospital and have it checked out. But in my opinion, there’s no immediate risk to the baby.’

Jensen and I exchanged looks, although I could barely see him through my veil of tears and his eyes looked moist too.

Just then the radio clipped to the edge of Hugh’s coat crackled into life.

‘Go ahead?’ said Hugh, pressing a button.

‘Mr Hallam is in the car, are you ready to go?’

‘Yep. On my way.’ He released the radio and got to his feet. ‘We can take you, Lottie, but there’d be no room for anyone else.’

‘I’m taking her,’ said Jensen.

Hugh patted my arm. ‘Then I’ll leave you in your boyfriend’s capable hands.’

Evie wiped her face. ‘I’ll go and let Dad know. He’ll be having kittens by now.’

Then it was just Jensen, me and the bump. Outside Storm Sandra continued to rage; wind whistled down the chimney, the roof creaked and the windows were being buffeted with incessant rainfall. But inside my cottage, and to be more precise, here on my sofa, my world felt warm, safe and complete.