‘But something that far back,’ Laura said, ‘can it still be hurtful?’

‘Your mother ordered Diana and Constance out of the house because she disapproved of their relationship. She’d heard gossip, confronted them with it, and Diana told her their private life was their own business.’

‘They’re … lesbians?’ Laura asked.

‘I would have said Constance Crowley was too good looking to be a lesbian,’ Jack said with nervous lightness.

‘Do you know that, Daddy, for a fact?’

‘Of course not,’ David answered impatiently. ‘Their private life is their own business.’

‘But then why wouldn’t they deny it?’ Laura asked.

‘If someone accused you of loving Jack as if it were something despicable. …’ David began.

‘That’s not the same thing at all,’ Laura said.

‘I think it is,’ David said more firmly. ‘The truth is that Diana and Constance love each other and have lived together for over forty years.’

‘But not as … perverts,’ Laura said.

‘That’s a pretty heavy word in this day and age,’ Jack said.

‘For the sort of people whose sex lives are not just killing themselves off but spreading it to the general population?’

‘Laura,’ David said sharply, ‘we’re talking about Diana and Constance, not a group of randy young men.’

‘But if you don’t know, why would you even suppose? Why would you have to suspect? Why would you ever mention it?’

‘You thought knowing why your mother disapproved might make it easier … for Mary.’

‘Oh God,’ Laura said. ‘Even she couldn’t come up with something like this.’

‘I don’t intend to tell her,’ David said. ‘At least not yet.’

‘But either Mother was some sort of monster, or they’re actually … what she thought they were,’ Laura said. ‘Was Mother wrong?’

‘She was wrong to behave as she did,’ David said. ‘I was wrong not to confront her with that. But she was very upset at the time. She thought the baby’s death was a punishment, a judgment. If she had to be punished, other people should be punished, too.’

‘So she went around accusing other people of all sorts of crazy things?’ Laura asked.

‘She was harsh in her judgments,’ David said.

‘But she got over it,’ Laura said. ‘She wasn’t really. …’

‘Your mother did like to be right, Laura,’ Jack said gently.

‘Maybe I’m beginning to sound a bit like Mary, but I wish Mother were around to defend herself.’

‘I’m not accusing your mother of anything,’ David protested. ‘I’m trying to explain what happened. If anyone’s to blame, I am, for letting it drag on all these years. And I’m to blame now because what I’m really doing is wishing I’d been a different sort of brother, a different sort of husband and father, when it’s far too late.’