Jez glanced at his watch. ‘They should be well on their way by now.’

They chatted for a while and he was still smiling as he put the phone down.

Donna left the new house with a list of essential furniture to buy. They’d retrieved the things from Jez’s old flat, but they weren’t nearly enough for this big place. And she had the staff cottage to furnish for Tom and his family, as well.

She went to a large department store, where she’d already made an appointment with a personal shopper. The man was probably getting a very hefty commission for his services but he certainly knew his way around the store. She was armed with the words ‘pretty’ and ‘soft colours’, which were Jez’s only specifications. Both the shopper and the furniture department head pulled faces at this and tried to persuade her to buy something more ‘in tune with the times’.

However, they stopped protesting when she offered to do her shopping elsewhere if they had nothing to suit. ‘It’s an Edwardian house and my employer has had enough of stark modern styles, which wouldn’t suit it anyway.’

‘Perhaps we should go and visit it, if we’re to do it justice?’ the department head suggested, his eyes lighting up.

‘No. Just find me some furniture to start us off and get it there tonight.’

‘Tonight!’ they yelped in unison.

‘Yes. It’s a condition of sale. I presume your delivery team won’t mind earning double money? We certainly won’t mind paying it.’

She was exhausted by the time she got back to the hotel, but felt she’d done a good job.

Jez was looking twitchy, but she didn’t comment on that as she brought him up to date on what she’d purchased today.

‘I wonder where Tom is now?’ he murmured afterwards, picking up his book again. ‘I’d expected him to phone me.’

Mary gave Tom another of her stern looks. Other mothers yelled and grew angry, but his radiated disappointment and pain when she considered he’d let her down. That was somehow more daunting than anger would have been.

‘I’m not giving Gail the chance to stop us going, Mum, or to upset the kids. I need to get away and start my new life and the children need stability. This decision has nothing to do with Gail.’

‘They’re her children too.’

‘She’s not a fit mother, which is why I’ve got temporary custody.’

‘Don’t argue with me. Fit or not, she’s their mother and your wife and you’re not abandoning her, you’re doing this properly. If you won’t phone her, I will.’

Almost he buckled down, the habit of years keeping him quiet, then he remembered how his wife had neglected Hayley and Ryan, and that gave him the courage to defy his mother. ‘You can ring her if you want, Mum, but we’re leaving now.’

He picked up Ryan and told Hayley to follow him out to the car.

His mother snatched Hayley’s hand and dragged her back. ‘I can’t let you do this, son. It’s wrong.’