As though he’d sensed her thinking about him, Umpire appeared in the doorway. He was wearing her pale green silk bathrobe, which was indecently short on his six-foot-three-inch frame and revealed the soft, strawberry-blond hairs that densely covered his upper thighs. Maggie felt a stab of lust closely followed by regret that there was no time to drag him back to bed.

‘Any more where that came from?’ he asked, peering into her empty mug after he’d crossed the room to kiss her. His scent was a honeyed blend of laundered sheets and musky aftershave. She breathed in deeply, wishing the smell of him would stay with her all day.

‘Pot’s full.’

She got to her feet and used the heels of her hands to smooth the creases on the navy cropped trousers she’d plucked from her bedroom floor when she got up. Having a semi-permanent house guest had done nothing to improve her untidiness.

‘I need to get going,’ she said. ‘I forgot to bring the leaflets home for my talk. I’ll have to pick them up on the way.’

‘Are you sure someone else can’t do it?’ Umpire called from the alcove kitchen.

She answered him as she crossed the lounge to retrieve her bag, discarded the previous evening by the foot of the sofa.

‘The head asked for me personally because she knows me and I said I’d do it. I’ll be fine.’

Umpire came back into the lounge sipping from a coffee mug branded with the slogan ‘World’s Best Auntie’. It took every ounce of willpower not to duck away from his watchful stare, because if she did he’d know for certain she was lying.

She was giving a talk on cyber bullying at Rushbrooke Primary School, where until seven months ago her nephew Scotty had been a pupil. Not seeing him sitting amongst his little gang of friends during the assembly was going to hurt like hell but she couldn’t pull out.

‘You could’ve been honest about why it might be difficult for you,’ said Umpire.

‘Last time I checked, rowing with your sister doesn’t count as a reason not to do your job,’ she said wryly.

They both knew she was trying to make light of what had happened, when it went far deeper than a stupid argument. Maggie had done something to hurt Lou immeasurably and no apology or excuse was adequate enough to make up for what she’d done, or the many years she’d spent keeping it a secret.

‘Will I see you tonight?’ she asked, keen to change the subject. ‘I can come to yours.’

Umpire owned a house in Trenton where they split their time together.

‘Depends how manic it gets. I’ll call you later.’