Once Toby had been tucked up by Ben and Thea they went back to Lara. ‘I don’t know anything about children,’ said Thea. ‘Sorry if I said something I shouldn’t.’

‘Well, Toby seemed to like you.’ Ben gave Thea a glance which questioned his son’s judgement.

‘I’ll get on with making supper, then.’

Ben followed her into the kitchen. ‘I’m sorry if our arrival spoiled your little tête-à-tête with Rory. You must have been all set for a romantic evening.’

‘Well, we were.’ Thea pulled out a couple of plates from a cupboard. ‘We were going to stare into each other’s eyes while Lara had puppies around us.’ She wanted to tell him they were going to make mad, passionate love on the floor, because he’d suddenly made her angry. She glared at him. ‘I’m going to have a glass of wine. I think I need it.’

Ben’s eyebrow flicked upwards, possibly asking what she’d done to deserve wine. ‘She seems to be dozing and I can’t see any contractions at the moment.’

When the kettle was on for water for the frozen peas and the chops were beginning to heat up under the rather inefficient grill, Thea took her wine and went to join Ben. She had a few questions for him. ‘Did I gather that you’ve heard of Rory and knew his work? He told me he hasn’t exhibited since a disastrous time just after he got his degree.’

‘I was at his show. It was stunning, though his behaviour during it was even more so and not in a good way. I haven’t heard of him since.’

‘So what is it you do, exactly?’

‘Do you want a CV or just a brief rundown?’

Why was he being so bad-tempered? Then she remembered he’d spent all day in a car with Molly and Petal, and had been forced to deliver puppies almost the moment he arrived. His blood sugar level must be at rock bottom. She forgave him. ‘A rundown is fine.’

‘Well, now I’m an art director in an advertising agency. Once I was head of an art college.’

‘What made you change? The two jobs sound rather different.’

Ben shrugged. ‘My life changed. I got married, had Toby. My wife wanted something better than I could give her on my salary as head of an art college so I changed direction.’

‘Are you – um ?’

‘Still married? No. But being divorced is even more expensive. Two houses, a full-time nanny, the odd little legal argument.’

There seemed to be a fair amount of bitterness attached to this statement. ‘So you think Rory’s work might be good?’

‘It might be. But it’s perfectly possible that it’s a load of self-indulgent rubbish.’