Once the centre of her mother’s world, she was now but one of the family. Though not exactly jealous of Janis, who was never less than kind to her, it was not easy for Bessie to come to terms with Laura’s closeness to Janis.

A more temperamental child would have communicated that all was not well by giving vent as Ben so graphically had to Howard. Bessie, though, communicated her private feelings only to her diary, which she kept hidden as little girls are wont to do.

Though she called it her diary, it was an exercise book and on the cover she had printed in red crayon: ‘My Secrets’.

She would never break her promise to her mummy to keep certain things just to themselves, she thought when reading and rereading her account of ‘the lovely time when it was just Mummy and me.’

Except for Mummy’s boyfriends, but they had come and gone, like the housekeepers had, she remembered while eating her bread and jam. Nothing was like it is now.

The thud of the mail landing in the hall sent her rushing to fetch it.

‘Look, Mummy! Grandpa and Hildegard have sent me a great big card from Israel,’ she said, brandishing the envelope as Laura came downstairs and gave her a hug.

‘Happy birthday, my darling. And I think I spy an even bigger card! That one will be from Grandma Shirley,’ Laura added dryly.

‘It is.’

Laura watched Bessie open the pile of envelopes, recalling how in her childhood and youth the family had never failed to remember her birthday. There were some who still did.

It was on my thirtieth that I stopped short and took stock of my life. Never a dull moment, my career looking promising, but something lacking. And to whom but Marianne would I have gone for comfort?

Laura would not forget spending that day mooning at Marianne’s flat. How Marianne had eventually pronounced that the lack she felt was stability, which required a permanent relationship.

My reply was along the lines of, ‘No fear! I’m not bending my life to include a husband, like you have. But that needn’t mean I can’t be a mother.’

It was then that Laura had made the decision that culminated in Bessie’s birth. And the look Marianne gave me when she walked me to my car was as if she thought she was seeing me off to get myself pregnant immediately! My reputation was that things are no sooner said than done and hang the consequences.

‘What are you smiling about, Mummy?’ the consequence of that decision inquired.

‘It’s my daughter’s birthday and I love her very much.’

‘Even though I’m not pretty?’

‘You will be when you lose your puppy fat.’

‘When will that be?’

‘I didn’t lose mine till I was sixteen.’

‘Six more years of Jeremy calling me “Pudge”!’