‘Oh, don’t you worry about me, I’m sure I’ll survive.’

Her voice was maddeningly light, an echo of how Willow had always underplayed things. Now it didn’t ring true to Martha’s ears. Now she understood it for what it was, a veil drawn over whatever real emotion Willow was experiencing. It was one of the things about her sister that had annoyed Martha, her apparent refusal to face up to the important decisions in life and take responsibility for herself. With painful acceptance, she now knew that Willow had been forced to make some far tougher decisions than any Martha had had to. She had more than taken responsibility for herself. Too much so.

‘But the question is, Willow,’ she said gently, ‘how will you cope?’

Willow gave a small shrug of her thin shoulders. ‘You know how hopeless I am at planning things. The baby will arrive and somehow I’ll just have to find a way to cope.’

Martha smiled. ‘Then it’s just as well you have a sister who’s the bee’s knees when it comes to putting together a plan of action. And Mum’s no slouch in that department either, so I’m sure between us we’ll come up with something to support you. More immediately, I think you should see a doctor today, if only to have the bruising to your face officially recorded in your medical notes. I’ll get Mum to ring the local surgery. Okay?’

Willow nodded.

‘Then I would recommend that one of us should speak to Rick. He needs to know that as a family we are now shielding you from him.’ Hearing how bossy and dictatorial she was sounding, Martha softened her tone. ‘That’s if you think that’s a good idea?’ she added.

‘I suppose I should be the one to speak to him,’ Willow said, hugging the rag doll more tightly to her. ‘I’m going to have to at some point, aren’t I? He is the father of the baby, after all.’

More’s the pity, thought Martha.

‘But at least he’s respecting my wishes and giving me time to think. I was so worried he might come hurtling down here after reading my note, or ring the house.’

Martha didn’t think respect came into it; cowardice was probably much more the mark. She decided to raise the matter which she’d discussed with Ellis in the car yesterday. ‘Do you think Rick deliberately got you pregnant?’ she asked.

Willow frowned. ‘Why would he do that?’

‘To trap you. To make you his. Was he in the least bit shocked or even annoyed when you told him you were pregnant?’

Willow seemed to think about this. ‘No,’ she said eventually. ‘I’d dreaded telling him but when I did, he couldn’t have been nicer or more delighted.’

‘And you told me, didn’t you, that because you were taking a rest from the pill, Rick had taken care of matters? What if he fixed things so that an accident would happen?’

‘But I would have known, surely? And really, what does it matter how or why I’ve ended up pregnant? I am and that’s all there is to it.’