He’d talked to Josie about changing schools. She had concerns, naturally, but had soon said she’d like to try living in the country if it meant no Mrs Calcashaw and no St Kits kids. The next day he’d picked up the phone to Ratty and agreed the six-month tenancy on Honeybun Cottage.

He’d also informed Cambridgeshire County Council of his temporary responsibility for Maria and had already chatted via telephone to a Gloria Russell from Children’s Services, ‘assigned to Maria’s case’. He’d shrunk from the phrase. Maria, ‘a case’? Gloria had also called Loren and Vivvi, presumably to check they were on a similar page to Nico, and said she’d visit Honeybun Cottage soon. Loren had passed along to Nico that Maria’s birth father had been approached but indicated his inability to care for his daughter. Big surprise.

Emelie had moved into Bruno’s flat in Highbury. It had been a wrench to hug her goodbye because she’d lived with them for more than two years. ‘Don’t tell anyone in Sweden yet,’ he’d warned her. ‘I don’t want to tell my parents until I’m safely settled.’

‘OK.’ She’d beamed. ‘Leave it to you. Maybe I can visit you after Christmas.’

Tilly had been stunned to learn Nico was moving the family to the country. ‘Just like that?’ she’d kept saying. ‘Just like that?’

He’d heard regret in her voice as well as shock. ‘I’m afraid so,’ he’d answered. ‘I’m downshifting. If I need a nanny in the future then it will be someone in Cambridgeshire, obviously.’

‘But—’ she’d begun twice, then her dark eyes had shone with sudden tears. ‘Is it because I didn’t go full-time while you had Maria?’

Considering their bumpy relationship recently, he’d felt unexpectedly sorry to sever ties. ‘It’s because I’ve left my job and I’m moving away.’ Then honesty compelled him to add, ‘But it’s true that as you couldn’t help me with one solution, I had to find another. I’m happy with choosing a new direction, though, so let’s part as friends, eh? I’m sure Josie would like to stay in touch.’

He’d received the settlement offer on the twenty-sixth, agreed its terms, cleared things with Josie’s old school and moved to the village five days later.

Now, he felt as if he’d been dumped into a reality TV programme without knowing the rules. However, logic dictated that as well as the tasks he’d shared with Emelie, Tilly and Loren now being all his, he could enjoy the novelty of strolling down a street of frosty cottages and fairy lights with two happy, healthy children.