How could it fail to? thought Marianne, listening to another eloquent sigh from Herr Schulmann, a man of few words. The light-heartedness hadn’t lasted long, but such was Howard and Karin’s situation – Howard paying the price of his decision and Karin no doubt blaming herself for the rift between him and Kate. Whether or not he would have come to live in Germany solely on Ben’s account was now purely academic. The die was cast.

The English butler, a dying breed in his own country, entered to announce that dinner would be served and Marianne allowed herself just one more thought on the distressing aspect of tomorrow’s joyous occasion: There was no such thing as undiluted happiness, and all too often it was family that watered down the cup.

Chapter Two

Laura and Jake arrived home from Berlin refreshed by the few days together without their children, and found Jeremy alone before the television set eating chocolates.

‘Janis and Kurt are at one of their meetings tonight,’ he said without removing his gaze from the gyrating pop group on the screen.

‘Where’s Bessie?’ Laura inquired.

‘Where she always is when she’s been on a bender. And I’m trying to watch Top of the Pops.’

Laura switched off the set.

‘What did you do that for!’

‘Because I want an explanation from you, Jeremy. “A bender,” you said. What does that mean?’ Surely not drink at Bessie’s age? But the things kids got up to nowadays, you never know. And Laura’s knees felt weak.

Jeremy’s response to his entertainment being cut short was to rise and stand, hands thrust in his jeans pockets, and glare at Laura. ‘You didn’t have to do what you did.’

Though it was not Jake’s policy to insert himself into Laura’s dealing with the children, he did so now. ‘Don’t be so damn rude, Jeremy. And I too want an answer to what Laura asked you.’

Jeremy cocked his head towards the near-empty chocolate box on the table. ‘There’s your answer. Bessie ate most of them and she’s now throwing up.’

Laura’s relief was such that she had to sit down.

‘It isn’t surprising that Bessie is sick after gorging herself on chocolates,’ Jake said to her, ‘since she never eats anything sweet.’

‘That’s what you think,’ said Jeremy. ‘It isn’t me who scoffs all the cake and biscuits that are gone from the tins in double-quick time. And where they end up is down the loo, but not by accident.’

While Laura and Jake were trying to make sense of that, Jeremy went on with his revelations.

‘I don’t know where Bessie got the bright idea from, but for ages she’s been pigging everything she feels like and afterwards sticking her finger down her throat to get rid of it.’