Thea was stabbed by a pang of guilt for running out on Molly when she had paid for her holiday. ‘I do hope she enjoys herself. I really shouldn’t have just… run away like that.’

‘I wouldn’t worry about Molly. She’s loving this adventure. Is there any more wine in that bottle?’

‘I expect I could find another if we needed it.’

‘No, I’m sure just the one bottle will be enough, seeing as we’re working.’

Thea grimaced. ‘What are we going to do about a vet?’

‘Hope we don’t need one.’ He got up and stacked the plates together.

‘Oh, let me do that,’ said Thea. ‘Lara might need you!’

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

He gave her the sort of glance midwives give fathers who look as if they might faint. ‘You could go to bed if you liked. I’m sure I can manage.’

‘I wouldn’t dream of it! I couldn’t abandon Lara now.’ She didn’t add that Toby was in her bed already.

‘I think Lara is quite happy with me,’ said Ben, not realising that Thea was being flippant.

Thea shook her head. ‘I think she’d rather have another woman with her, at this difficult time.’

Ben raised his eyes to heaven. ‘Then make us a cup of coffee.’

‘And raspberry leaf tea for Lara?’

He frowned. ‘Don’t you take anything seriously?’

‘Not if there’s someone there to do it for me.’

‘Molly never told me you were like this.’ He meant ‘warned’.

‘Oh, I always behave myself with Molly. Petal does too.’ Thea sighed. ‘I’d better get the kettle on.’

Having done the washing up, she came back with two mugs and set them on the mantelpiece. There were no more puppies and Lara was looking fed up. ‘Poor Lara, I haven’t known her long, but I feel she’s an old friend.’

‘Like her owner.’

This was a statement, not a question and Thea didn’t know how to take it. Was it a criticism? Was he, like Molly, infused with moral outrage? Well, if he was, he could go on being infused. She wasn’t going to tell him that actually, she hadn’t slept with Rory in case he spotted the missing ‘yet’. ‘Possibly.’

Lara, who had a strong social sense, decided to lighten the atmosphere with another contraction.

‘That’s a good girl. Just breathe through the pain. Sorry,’ Thea said to Ben. ‘I’ll shut up now.’

The labour went on through the night, with no sign of Rory and the others. Ben and Thea agreed that while the absence of Molly and Petal was definitely a good thing, Rory could at least have helped them find a vet if they needed one.