‘Oh, you know, just what you’d expect, that you can’t have bells and whistles your whole married life. That marriage is a marathon that settles into its own steady pace.’

‘He has a point.’

‘Says the woman who told me she’s having the best sex of her life with Lover-Boy!’

‘I never said that!’

‘You didn’t need to, not in so many words; it was written all over your smug little face.’

‘Have I chosen a bad time to join you ladies?’

‘Ellis!’ exclaimed Naomi, alarmed at what he might have overhead. ‘I didn’t hear you come in.’

‘Evidently,’ he said with a raised eyebrow, coming into the room. ‘Hello, Geraldine, long time no see. How the devil are you?’

She smiled back at him. ‘I’m in fine fettle,’ she said. ‘And you look like you’ve fared well since I last saw you. What’s with the scruffy jeans and daubs of paint on you?’

‘I’m decorating next door. I’ll leave Naomi to explain while I go up and change.’

When he’d gone, Geraldine held out her glass. ‘Top-up, please, and then fill me in on your latest news. Has Lover-Boy moved in? Oh, and while you’re fetching the wine, I wouldn’t mind a slice of that cake I spied on the worktop in the kitchen.’

‘Good plan,’ said Naomi up on her feet, ‘better we have something inside us to soak up the alcohol we’re about to consume.’

Back in the sitting room, and despite wanting to hear more from Geraldine about her inexplicable decision to leave Brian, Naomi hurriedly explained about Ellis moving in with her and buying next door to do up. ‘And before you ask, no he hasn’t bought the cottage so he has somewhere to escape if it goes wrong between us.’

‘I wasn’t thinking any such thing.’

‘Good, so let’s get back to you and Brian.’

‘What else is there to say?’

‘Lots! Like where are you going to live? And what does Hilary have to say about it all?’

‘She’s furious with me and just as I knew she would, she’s taken her father’s side. I’m officially persona non grata. As for where I’ll live, well, I was thinking there might be a temporary bed for me here, just until I’ve sorted out what I’m going to do. Or would I be playing too much of a gooseberry to you and Lover-Boy?’

Naomi’s heart sank. Much as she loved her old friend, the thought of Geraldine being here at Anchor House for a prolonged length of time was a daunting prospect.

Chapter Forty-Six

With a decaf skinny latte in hand, and following a wafer-thin girl into the lift, Martha wondered, despite what Tom had said about her positively blooming, if there was anything less sexy than being pregnant.

This was a question she asked herself every time she saw her swelling body reflected back at her. At six months pregnant she was colossal, or that’s how it felt to her, and she couldn’t believe that she would grow bigger still. Tom described her as looking voluptuous, which she interpreted as voluminous and to make matters worse, her libido had hit the skids, and Tom’s had gone up several gears. All she wanted to do every night when she collapsed into bed was sleep. Her energy levels had dropped again, and to an all-time low.