Hurting for this stalwart, elderly woman who deserved happiness after all the people she’d looked after in her life, Hannah murmured, ‘There must be a solution. You miss him. He’s sent you flowers.’ She took a breath and prepared to get her head bitten off. ‘Was the prenup idea so awful? You want what you own to go to Mum, I expect, not to pass to him and then his kids. He’ll want the same on his side.’

‘I haven’t got much.’ Nan’s voice was small and tired. ‘It was the not trusting.’ But, for the first time, she didn’t sound completely convinced. ‘I think I’ll have soup for supper then listen to the radio in bed. If your mum rings tell her I’ll speak to her next time.’

Later, Hannah helped her to bed. Just before she left the room, Nan said, ‘Try and find some time for yourself as well as looking after me, duck. You need to start thinking about what you’re going to do next.’

Hannah nodded. ‘I have been. I need to get my dosh out of Albin first, though.’ Downstairs, she sipped a glass of wine before the fire. Nan was right. In January, when Nan didn’t need her so much or Mo and Jeremy were back, she’d need to get her life going again, without Albin. The world, as the saying went, was her oyster. She could do anything. Go anywhere.

Then, without meaning to, she thought of Nico and where she might have gone if they’d met again when both were happily single.

Chapter Thirteen

On Monday evening, Hannah met her friend Deanna at The Three Fishes. Deanna’s mum Kitty had agreed to babysit. Nan was watching a box set of Call the Midwife that had been delivered today, another olive branch from Brett with a note suggesting they talk.

Nan hadn’t made up her mind about that, though Hannah had reminded her she didn’t have to marry him. ‘Everyone lives together these days.’ Nan had given her an old-fashioned look.

It was ‘Two meals for £15’ night and the pub was busy. Ferdy’s black-rimmed glasses reflected the colourful Christmas lights as he chatted a mile a minute with the customers. Elvis was quieter, neat in a shirt and tie and with a nervous habit of smoothing a hand over his bald head.

‘Let’s start as we mean to go on,’ Deanna said as she ordered a bottle of cava. ‘It’s bliss to be child-free for the evening.’ She sported four-inch heels that meant Hannah reached her shoulder and ripped jeans tight enough to look as if they’d ripped of their own accord. Her frizzy hair was caught up to cascade from one side and flipped people in the face when she turned her head.