‘You knew Annie before you went to Evergreen?’ I ask, completely surprised.

‘No, maybe it wasn’t her doing,’ he continues, circling a finger anxiously on the table as he ignores me, clearly irritated by whatever thought has come into his head. ‘It was Joy’s doing.’

‘Gran?’ I ask.

Dad shrugs. ‘Yes, but that’s something you’d have to ask your mum about.’

‘But I can’t, Dad,’ I say, leaning towards him. ‘I can’t ask Mum any more, can I?’

He purses his lips. ‘I don’t suppose you should, anyway.’ He sits back and looks at me. ‘How is she doing? Is she well?’

‘She’s …’ I shake my head. ‘Dad, she’s …’

‘I am sorry about what happened between her and me,’ he says quietly. ‘I never wanted to see her hurt. I never wanted any of it to turn out like it did.’

‘Oh, Dad. What happened to us?’ I say, tears pooling in my eyes now.

‘I loved her very much, you know.’ He frowns, asking, ‘Are you staying for tea? I imagine Olivia will be back soon.’

I glance at my watch as Dad gets up and walks to the sink, looking out at the back garden. ‘Dad, you remember Iona, don’t you?’ I say.

‘Yes,’ he answers quietly.

‘Do you know why Iona really came to Evergreen? I know she wasn’t at university.’ I watch him closely, certain I can see his shoulders tighten.

‘She came looking for someone,’ he says. ‘But I don’t believe she ever found them.’

‘Who was she looking for?’

Dad shakes his head. When he turns he looks agitated, pressing the heel of his hand into the edge of the sink. ‘None of that matters any longer,’ he says. ‘It was all such a long time ago.’

‘Some things do matter,’ I say and he looks at me quizzically. ‘I saw you, Dad,’ I blurt as my client’s words come back to me. I can’t not know it now, can I? ‘I saw you with her,’ I go on, less sure. ‘Were you and Iona – were you having an affair?’

Dad stares at me, incredulous. ‘What? No!’ he cries. ‘How could you even …’ He shakes his head, almost manically, his eyes wide as he pushes himself up, scanning the room like a frightened child. ‘Where’s Olivia?’

‘I’m sorry,’ I say, as I stand up too and approach him. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you.’

He stalks out of the kitchen and I quickly follow, finding him standing by the front door, his fingers curling and uncurling around the bottom of the banister. ‘I don’t …’ He looks up the stairs and then back at me, his eyes searching for something, but I don’t know what to give him. ‘I don’t know what I’m doing,’ he says eventually, and he looks so scared.