Greg still isn’t really speaking to me and I feel very unsettled. There was a lot of banging around in the kitchen this morning as we both made our respective sandwiches. We’ve never been like this before in all our years of married life. But then there’s never really been a time when we’ve been pulling in opposite directions. Any adversity that we have faced – and it usually centred round the kids or money – has made us grow closer together to work through it. I’m not sure why he feels so threatened about me going off to Peru or why he won’t sit down and talk to me about it. But there you have it. He won’t.

I felt such joy, such liberation on top of Scafell Pike that I don’t know why it’s not something that we’ve done as a couple before. If we’d got on better we could be making regular trips to the Lakes or the Peak District, hiking boots in hand – or on feet. You know what I mean.

Then Minny totters in and breaks my train of thought. ‘I’ve come back to work for a rest,’ she declares. ‘I’ve never done so much damn exercise.’ My colleague leans on my desk. ‘How’s the fundraising going?’

‘I haven’t done much yet. You?’

‘I’ve just press-ganged all of my Facebook mates. I’m pretty much there.’

I don’t have any Facebook mates to press-gang.

‘Mum and Dad will give me the rest.’

Ah, good old Bank of Mum and Dad.

‘Coming running tonight?’

‘Can’t,’ I say. ‘Things to do.’

‘See you at lunch then,’ she says and totters off.

Then I pick up the phone and call Chelsea and invite her to meet me and Lauren for coffee tonight. She sounds delighted and I feel mean for not having contacted her before and even meaner for having an ulterior motive for wanting my big sister to be there.

When I hang up, I pull my travel guide of Peru out of my handbag and immerse myself in it, gazing at the pictures of the walnut-brown women who live a life that’s a world away from mine with their black plaits, their bowler hats and their pipes, and dreaming of when I can visit places like Tambomachay, Puca Pucara, Salapunco, Qenko, Ollantaytambo. I won’t think of Greg or how difficult he’s being. I’ll only think of what a great adventure this will be.

Chapter 45

Chapter 45