‘I do,’ said Rory, ‘and sausage and tomatoes and fried bread.’ He gave Thea a grin which made her wonder why she didn’t want to leap into bed with him. He was so delicious and cheerful. Ben seemed to have trouble finding his smile muscles.

At least in the kitchen, she thought, debating whether to cut off the bacon rind or not, I’m doing something useful and not taking up space. There was a jostle for space at the moment, with Lara taking up so much of it. Petal was fiddling with something on the windowsill, glancing sideways at Rory, who was still only half dressed and was reading his post while scratching his belly. Molly was straightening things which weren’t designed to be straight, longing to create order where no order was possible.

Ben and Toby had gone for a walk, promising they would be back very soon.

At last everyone was settled round the table, drinking orange juice and eating yoghurt, cereal or a heart-attack-inducing fry-up, according to taste. Thea was just relaxing into a bit of toast and Irish marmalade, when Toby said, ‘Thea, why were you asleep in the bath last night?’ He didn’t speak particularly loudly – he wasn’t a loud child – but somehow at that moment everyone stopped crunching and scraping and swallowing, and instead looked at Thea.

‘You slept in the bath?’ Molly found her voice first. ‘Why?’

‘Jaysus, and there was half a perfectly good bed gone to waste,’ said Rory. ‘Was I too drunk to sleep with?’

‘If you’d said anything I’d have slept on the sofa,’ Ben sounded cross.

‘I can’t believe you slept in the bath,’ said Petal.

‘The answer to your question, Toby,’ Thea told him, ‘is that there wasn’t anywhere else to sleep.’ Then she felt colour creep up her neck and into her face. I’m too old to blush, she thought, trying to look insouciant, and too young for hot flushes. Why is this happening? Carefully, she loaded her last scrap of toast with marmalade and carried it to her mouth. She was aware of Ben regarding her, but without turning to look at him she couldn’t tell what sort of look it was. Dear Toby, she thought. It might actually have been easier for me if you’d just wet the bed.

‘Well, now, Petal, you can give me a hand with the dishes,’ she said, and then realised people were still eating, ‘when everyone’s finished.’

‘I’d like to see your pictures, if I may,’ said Ben to Rory.

‘Of course. I’d be glad to show them to you. Until Thea came I never showed anyone, but since she liked them enough to tell you about them I feel a bit differently.’

‘After breakfast, then.’