‘Worth interrupting an important phone call for?’

‘Hell, yes.’

‘Hold on.’ She went into the living area and signalled to Jez, who covered up the phone and listened to her quick explanation.

‘I’d better speak to him. Ask him to hold on and give me a few seconds to finish this call.’

When Jez ended his call to Sophie, Donna put his son on the line.

Tom sagged against the wall in relief when he heard his father’s voice.

‘What’s wrong?’

He explained what had happened. ‘You offered to put me and the children up at your hotel. I think we need to get away from here as soon as possible. Gail’s a good actress and my mother doesn’t realise how tricky my dear wife is. Well, I didn’t until after we were married.’

‘I can arrange for accommodation easily enough and send a car to pick you up. When?’

Tom thought rapidly. ‘Tomorrow afternoon. Mum goes out to choir rehearsal at her church at two o’clock.’

‘Is it really necessary for you to sneak away?’

‘It’s better than having a confrontation with either my wife or my mother, believe me. I don’t want to upset the children. I’m not giving Gail the chance to pull any more tricks to keep me here. I will have to contact Jane, though, to make sure she can come too. Only – she lives next door to Gail so I don’t want to pick her up.’

Jez’s voice was amused. ‘It’s like playing cops and robbers, isn’t it? We can send a taxi for Jane once you’ve left safely and you can meet her somewhere.’

Tom heard his voice wobble as he said, ‘Thanks.’ He couldn’t help feeling shaky. This was the worst thing that had ever happened to him. You didn’t walk out on a marriage, a house you’d been renovating bit by bit, and a mother who loved you – not without some qualms, not without a lot of pain.

‘Tom? Are you still there?’

‘Yes. Sorry, Jez. I’ll be ready by just after two. Um – I’ll only have bin liners to pack our stuff in. It’ll look a mess.’

‘I don’t mind if you come with only the clothes you stand up in.’

‘Thanks. I’m grateful.’

As soon as he’d switched off his phone, Tom began making plans in his head, working out what he’d take.

The phone rang an hour later and Sophie hesitated, then went to see who it was. Jez. She’d not answer it. Then she changed her mind and snatched it up at the last minute before the answering service took over.

‘Sorry about ending our call, Sophie. Tom needed my help urgently.’

‘That’s all right. We’d just about finished anyway. I’d only wanted to apologise to you.’

‘Well, I hadn’t finished speaking. Look, we can’t talk properly on the phone. How about doing lunch?’

‘Pardon?’

‘Come and have lunch with me here. Unless you’ve got something going with this Shane fellow?’

‘I haven’t got anything going with him.’ She wasn’t sure she had anything going with Jez, either. But she couldn’t resist the chance to see him again. ‘OK.’