‘It’s not a question of enjoyment.’ Grace’s glittering warrior look has gone; she sounds exhausted. The things she isn’t saying float between them, the stark, simple things. She earns the money; someone has to pay the bills.

‘Let’s hope you can manage to get some time off.’ Eve reaches across the table as if to touch her hand, but at that moment the light breeze strengthens and the candles flutter then extinguish. For a second everything vanishes, it’s as though each is alone in the dark. Eric steps into the house, a switch is flicked and lanterns on the wall light up. The table springs into view, cluttered with smeared plates and chunks of drying bread. There is a forest of empty wine bottles. The leftover meat on the barbecue is darkly charred. Melissa puts her hand to her growling stomach. It had been so easy to eat nothing this evening; Eve had been preoccupied and hadn’t noticed. Now it’s an effort not to seize a hunk of bread and cram it into her mouth. At that moment the children reappear. Sorrel first, dragging her feet, her eyes swollen. She is missing her skirt. Poppy is pale-faced and silent, hiccupping a little. They wind themselves around Eric.

‘Goodness, darlings,’ Eve stares at her daughters, ‘you both look exhausted. Whatever happened to your skirt, Sorrel?’

Sorrel looks at her feet, sucking her thumb.

‘The elastic must have snapped with all that running.’ Eve puts her arm around Sorrel. ‘Never mind, we’ll buy you another.’ Sorrel leans against her and closes her eyes.

Charley stands close to Grace but Blake stares back into the trees. The garden looks even larger at night, a wilderness stretching out in front of them.

‘Where’s Izzy?’ Melissa asks, trying to keep unease from her voice.

‘She’ll be along in a moment, don’t fret.’ Paul sits back in his chair, pouring the last of a bottle of wine into a glass. ‘I know my little girl rather well. She loves to make an entrance.’

Melissa gets out of her seat and walks to the edge of the veranda; the stone balustrade is gritty under her fingers. She has already spoken out of turn this evening; if she says any more, he’s likely to remember.

‘It’s time we got going.’ Grace stands up. ‘Thanks, Eve, thanks, Eric, great food.’ She takes Charley’s hand. ‘I hope Ash enjoyed his birthday.’

She nods her goodbyes to Melissa and the others and starts to make her way back to the car, Blake trailing in her wake.

‘Perfect evening,’ Martin murmurs and hurries to catch up with his family.

Eve puts Ash down on the little sofa by the door and begins to clear the table with Eric. At that moment Izzy appears, her slim figure running swiftly across the lawn and then up the steps; unlike the other children she doesn’t seem tired at all.