‘How about this vase?’ Edie asked, coming into the room.

‘No,’ Sylvie said, detaching herself from me.

‘It’s so lovely.’

‘It was my father’s wedding present to us.’

Edie nodded and went back into the interior. We both stood and started packing again.

‘Where will you go?’ I asked Sylvie.

‘London. Maybe Paris.’ She lit a cigarette.

‘At least you’ll be able to see your daughters more.’

‘I don’t like to spend too long with them.’ She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘In case they get used to having me around.’

‘But you’re not selling this place?’

‘I’ll rent it out at first.’

Edie swept back into the room. ‘What about this darling little mirror?’

‘Yes,’ Sylvie said. She started to tremble all over.

‘What’s the matter?’

‘What’s the point of it all, Edie?’ Sylvie said.

She looked about helplessly, and Edie hurried over and took her hand. ‘You’ll be back before you know it.’

‘I don’t know. What if Rupert doesn’t …?’

‘Of course you will – you belong here.’

I turned away. On the wall in front of me was a picture of two milkmaids carrying their pails through a field, the wind blowing a ripple through the corn behind them. Soon Sylvie would be gone, and whoever rented the house would sit in this room, drinking, reading, laughing. Then another, then another, and the milkmaids would stand in their field forever. I wanted to tear the picture off the wall and throw it out the window; it wasn’t fair to keep us apart like this.

I turned back, ramming my hands in my pockets.

Sylvie shook herself. ‘I’m being a fucking mope, aren’t I?’

‘We’re all fucking mopes, having to say goodbye to you. Aren’t we, Theo?’

I nodded. ‘Maud told me off this morning,’ I said. ‘She said – Theo, if you don’t stop being such a fucking mope, I’ll thrash you bloody. Honestly, that girl frightens me.’

Edie raised an eyebrow. Sylvie looked at both of us and laughed, then we were all laughing.

Freddie came into the room. ‘What’s this racket? I thought we were packing, not acting like donkeys.’

‘You’re just sore it’s not your joke we’re laughing at,’ Sylvie said, holding her other hand out to him.

‘Whose joke is it?’

‘Theo’s.’

Freddie pointed his finger at me. ‘I’ll have to keep an eye on you, young man.’

‘You do that, old man.’

Edie laughed again. ‘Please don’t,’ she said. ‘If he’s old, I’m decaying.’

‘You’re delicious,’ Sylvie said, and licked Edie’s cheek like a cat.

We opened some champagne, and drank the bottle while we finished packing. We were tight by the time we saw them off in their car, their luggage safely packed up and ready to be collected the next day. Nico lay on the back seat, covered in blankets.