‘I don’t think so, which is why I told Molly about it. I thought she’d know who I should send the slides to.’

‘But you weren’t expecting her to turn up, large as life, with a whole supporting cast?’ There was a glimmer of a smile in this.

‘No, I wasn’t. It was quite unnecessary, when I’ve taken loads of slides and it wouldn’t have taken long to get them developed.’ Her gaze narrowed. ‘I suppose Molly said something which made you think my slides wouldn’t be any good.’

He had the grace to look embarrassed. ‘Toby and I had a trip to Ireland planned anyway. He’s mad about Irish myths and legends. I think he secretly believes that he’ll see a leprechaun, though he’d never admit it. I’d never been to Mayo, so we just went north instead of south. And very far west.’

Thea laughed.

‘But I wouldn’t have brought Molly and Petal if they hadn’t made such a fuss about wanting to come. She said she really needed to see you about something, but personally I think she wanted to catch you and Rory in the act.’

‘Huh!’

‘But Molly’s been very good to me over the years, and Toby likes her, so I indulged her and let Petal come. If she’d known Lara was chaperoning you I’m sure she wouldn’t have insisted,’ he added palliatively. ‘And I didn’t know about the slides, so Toby and I would have turned up anyway.’

‘Do you have Toby for holidays, then?’

There was an irritated pause. ‘I have Toby all the time. His mother has him for the occasional weekend if she can get a babysitter.’

‘Oh.’ Thea wanted to apologise for assuming Toby’s mother would be his main carer, but she didn’t know how. Besides, Ben seemed quite capable of jumping to conclusions too.

‘It is fairly unusual, even nowadays,’ Ben went on, slightly less starchily.

Thea nodded. ‘I do think you might have phoned.’

‘We tried, every time we stopped, but we could never get an answer. Molly assumed the worst and decided we should press on regardless and save you from making a terrible mistake.’

‘For God’s sake! I’m free, white and over twenty-one.’

Ben shrugged, absolving himself from responsibility.

Lara, filling in the awkward silence, gave a little moan. Ben and Thea watched as a huge contraction rippled along her body.

‘Do you think we should get her gas and air?’ asked Thea, partly to lighten the atmosphere and partly because she needed reassurance that all was going well.

‘I think she’s managing fine. She’s obviously gone to her NCT classes.’

‘Humph.’ Thea hadn’t had children herself but had several friends who, all set for a natural birth, ended up yelling for drugs when it was too late.