Liselle woke up and looked out of her window. It was early December and in the night it had snowed. The snow already lay thick and quiet everywhere. It was just after five-thirty. She had only dozed. In her mother’s room she heard the radio playing. Liselle pulled on a dressing gown and went in to her. Kerry lay on her bed still in the crumpled green wrapper, a glass of orange juice in her hand. Liselle sighed. Taking the drink from her mother she sipped it and raised her eyebrows.

Kerry laughed huskily.

‘Ain’t a drink to be found in the house. I take it you had a good hide up before you went to bed?’

Liselle had the grace to go red.

‘It’s snowing.’

Kerry laughed again.

‘I know. I hate the snow meself. Always did. When we were kids, in the basements, snow could mean death. Honestly.’ Her voice sobered. ‘It was so cold in there anyway, damp and smelly. We woke up one morning and the whole inside of the room had a film of ice everywhere. Little babies froze to death that year. Little tiny babies. We used to have blue feet, navy blue feet, with big red sores on them.’

Liselle snapped at her, ‘Stop it, Mum. For goodness’ sakes!’

Kerry heaved a heavy sigh. ‘I’m sorry, Lissy. It’s just that I woke up thinking morbid thoughts. I have a feeling on me that something bad’s going to happen. It’s the snow, I think. I hate the solitude of snow. Even if you shout it somehow muffles your voice.’

Liselle shook her head.

‘I think the trouble’s already started.’

Kerry sat up in the bed and frowned. Liselle saw in the harsh light of day the veins beginning on her mother’s cheeks from the drink. The deep hollows under her eyes that her make-up would make disappear, to leave her looking beautiful and young. Too young for this dark-haired girl to be her daughter. Yet unlike other mothers, Kerry always told people about her daughter and never, ever lied about her age.

‘What do you mean, love?’

‘Last night there was murders round Auntie Briony’s with me gran.’

Kerry laughed then in relief.

‘There’s always murders where your gran’s concerned! Give her a drink and you’ve got a loony on your hands.’

Kerry’s dismissive tone annoyed Liselle and she said nastily, ‘Yeah, well, last night she informed the whole world and his wife that I should have been aborted. That having an illegitimate child was bad enough, but one like me ... That’s what she said, Mum. Those were her exact words.’

Kerry scrambled up so she was kneeling. ‘Did she say anything else, girl? Did you say anything about me? About you as a baby?’