‘True,’ Jackson said. ‘I bet you were a bit of a dork at school, so it kind of has a ring of truth about it.’

‘How did it happen, Neil?’ Maddie asked, her voice soft and caring.

He widened his eyes, and glanced over his shoulder at Elise. ‘Am I supposed to say?’

‘Yes, people can ask questions, Dad.’

‘Well, the boys grabbed me and shoved me in there for being a swot, which, to be fair, I was.’ He gave an awkward laugh.

‘Well I’m hoping it’s a lie,’ Elise said, ‘but if it’s true, I’ll track them down and kill them. Sometimes revenge is the only way.’

‘Lie,’ Maddie said.

‘No, definitely true,’ Jackson said.

‘It is true,’ Neil said.

‘I guess boys will be boys.’ Jackson took a gulp of his drink. ‘And look at you now – doing better than they are, is my guess.’

‘Oh yes.’ Neil nodded. ‘One of them is in prison, I believe.’ He laughed. ‘Though to be fair we were just kids. I forgive them.’

‘You’re far too kind, Daddy,’ Elise said, her eyes on Rosamund. ‘Too forgiving.’

‘Not always, sweetheart, not always.’

The atmosphere was suddenly heavy. ‘Jackson, it must be your go,’ Maddie said, as though trying to extinguish the rising tension.

Jackson grinned, and there was a beat before he said, ‘My parents died of carbon-monoxide poisoning in the caravan I grew up in.’

‘Seriously?’ Lark’s eyes moved from her phone to his face. ‘You’re going with that?’

‘I didn’t know that.’ Caroline’s eyes widened. ‘It’s got to be a lie.’

Rosamund stared Jackson’s way, her eyes boring into him, a puzzled look on her face. ‘True,’ she said.

‘You’re not even playing, Rosamund.’ Elise screwed up her face, and, clenching her fists, turned to Jackson. ‘Was it like being on holiday, all the time?’

‘No,’ Jackson said, leaning back in his chair. ‘It was a living hell.’

‘You really don’t look the type to have grown up in a caravan, Jackson.’ Neil narrowed his eyes. ‘Convince me.’

‘Well, my parents were travellers. I grew up moving from place to place, finally heading for the US on my own when I was eighteen.’ He laughed, shrugged. ‘It’s no big deal.’

‘It is if it’s true.’ Caroline’s voice was tense.

Amelia looked over at her dad. Was he smiling? Was he happy to see a crack forming?

‘I think it’s true,’ Elise said. ‘Come on put us out of our misery, Jackson.’

‘It’s true,’ he said.

Amelia saw the shock in her mum’s eyes, her cheeks flushing.

‘Did you know?’ Amelia whispered, seeing the shock in her mum’s eyes.

Her mum shook her head, as Jackson placed his hand over hers. ‘I honestly didn’t think it was important enough to tell you, Caroline,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t exactly the best time in my life.’