Ines eyed her up and down. ‘Cynthia will look after Cora.’ A pause. Then: ‘The Stedmans – will they be here?’

‘Yes, they should be coming, and their younger kids too, so Cora will have someone to play with.’

Cora hovered behind Ines, her eyes trained on the paddling pool.

Mary looked down and smiled.

‘Do you want to get in, Cora? Lily would love to play – do you have a swimming costume on?’

Cora nodded and took off her dress before stepping carefully into the water.

‘Can I make you chief sitter and lifeguard now, Cora?’ Mary asked.

Cora nodded vehemently.

‘Good.’ Mary turned to smile again at Ines and Victor, her back to the pool.

Over the next half an hour, they all arrived. The Stedmans with three of their children and their ever-present babysitter, Cynthia. Della with an apple pie. Ellen from next door, slipping through the gap in the fence. Her mother might be in later, she said, taking a seat on the swing. Aoife was away for the weekend and Ellen looked a little lost without her constant companion.

‘The twins will be in soon,’ Della told her, ‘then you’ll have someone to talk to.’

‘I’m not sure they will, Mam,’ Fran said, pouring a glass of white wine for her mother. ‘Gavin Bowman called in earlier and he’s up in their room with them.’

Della’s face creased into a frown. ‘He’s too old to be hanging around with the twins. He must be sixteen if he’s a day.’ She turned to Mary. ‘How’s he getting on with the gardening?’

‘Oh. He’s finished. I don’t think gardening is his strong suit.’

Susie Stedman joined them and Mary remembered Ines’s question. ‘Susie, Ines was looking for you earlier.’ She spotted Ines at the drinks table with Cynthia, and waved her over. ‘Ines, Susie’s here now.’

Ines tossed her head impatiently. ‘Why are you telling me this?’

‘Oh. You asked about Susie?’

‘I wanted to know if they were coming because I need to speak with Cynthia. I do not need to speak with Susie.’ She stalked off back to Cynthia, leaving Mary open-mouthed.

‘Don’t mind her,’ Susie said. ‘She’s the most disagreeable person I’ve ever met.’

‘She said her mother’s ill,’ Mary murmured. ‘She’s trying to organize a sitter so she can travel back to Spain. I imagine she’s stressed.’

‘Stressed she won’t have a bolthole in Spain to run to if her mother dies, you mean,’ Della said. ‘Though maybe her mother will leave her the house and she’ll be gone for good.’

Susie threw back her head and laughed, her blonde bob flashing in the sun. Mary bit her lip, trying not to smile. Della’s comment was mean, but then again, Ines made it difficult to be nice.

Robbie emerged through the patio doors, a bottle of wine in hand, and strode down the garden, followed by Victor.

‘Drink up, everyone,’ Robbie announced, ‘this is a celebration!’ He put his arm around Mary’s waist and kissed her temple, then held up the bottle.