‘I don’t want anyone to know I’m here.’

Christine laughed. ‘Don’t worry, Gina won’t tell anyone.’

‘If she finds out I’m here, I’m leaving and taking Lily with me. You won’t see her – you’ll never hold her again. You don’t want that, do you?’

But it was impossible to dissuade Christine from opening the door. Having made Christine promise not to tell Gina about her new housemate, Ella took Lily upstairs. She cuddled her and fed her and soothed her, desperate to keep her from crying and betraying their presence upstairs. Christine’s visitor seemed to stay for hours, but at last Ella heard the front door slam. She was glad she had invented her cover story about a violent husband who was hunting for her, without which it would have been very difficult to explain why she wanted her presence in the house kept secret. But she knew she couldn’t continue to rely on Christine remaining silent about her visitors. Leaving Lily downstairs with Christine, she announced she needed a shower. With the water running, she crept silently along the landing to the box room where Christine was now sleeping, and searched until she found over two hundred pounds in cash stuffed in a wallet in a drawer beside the bed. Pocketing it, along with a pair of sunglasses belonging to Christine, she went downstairs.

Moving as quietly as she could, she made up a bottle of milk. While the kettle was boiling she filled two carrier bags with food that was ready to eat: apples, bananas, biscuits, cereal, cheese, bread, and a large bottle of lemonade. She also grabbed a handful of tea spoons which she dropped into one of the bags.

‘I have to pop out to the shops,’ she said, returning to the living room and putting the bags down as quietly as she could.

Fortunately, the baby began gurgling loudly, distracting Christine.

‘You can leave Lily here.’

‘No, she’s been inside for long enough. She could do with some fresh air. It’ll do her good to go out in the pushchair.’

‘What if he sees you?’ Christine asked.

‘He won’t. He’ll be at work. We won’t be gone long, I promise, but I have to get out for a bit. I haven’t been out of the house all weekend, and nor has Lily.’

‘I’ll come with you.’ Christine heaved herself to her feet.

‘No, you stay here and get some lunch ready. We won’t be long. Do you want anything from the shops?’

To Ella’s relief, Christine subsided into her chair again and reached for her bag.

‘Here,’ she said, holding out her purse. ‘Take some money and you can bring back the change. There should be more than enough there to get whatever you need for Lily.’