‘Would it help you to understand if I told you I meant that it was retribution? And in our family – well, who but God would any of us think it was from? I’ve learned as I’ve grown older that moulding your life however you please – which I certainly did – doesn’t strip you of your conditioning.’

Marianne surveyed Laura’s ashen complexion. She had lost a lot of blood and an intravenous drip was attached to her hand. ‘Did they tell you yet what caused the haemorrhage?’

Laura nodded. ‘But I didn’t need telling. And thank heavens Jake hadn’t got here yet, when the doctor spelled it out to me. They’ve advised me to have a hysterectomy. If that isn’t retribution, I don’t know what would be—’

‘Will you stop it with the retribution!’ Marianne said firmly. ‘The whore of Babylon you weren’t.’

‘But there’s something you don’t know, Marianne. When Bessie was two, I had an abortion. You may remember that was the time when my career had just begun to really take off. I was getting a lot of foreign assignments from top magazines, and Mum used to come and look after Bessie, so I didn’t have to turn them down. It was before the money started rolling in, so I couldn’t yet afford live-in help.’

Laura paused to sip some water. ‘I sometimes let myself forget how Mum stood by me in every possible way. Once she recovered from the shock of me being a single parent, and from choice, she bent her own life so I could get on with mine. I refused to let her stand the cost of a resident nanny – which Mum being Mum she failed to understand. But it didn’t stop her from turning herself into one whenever I needed her.’

‘And when she hears you’re in hospital—’ said Marianne.

‘She’ll be zooming down the M1 to be her usual interfering self! – which will of course include trying to have me shifted to a private hospital.’

They shared a smile. What didn’t cost money was for Shirley never good enough.

‘Jake’s already suggested it,’ Laura added.

But his reason was that nothing but the best was good enough for his wife.

‘I intend to stay put, though,’ said Laura. ‘I couldn’t get better attention than I’m getting here. Also – well, telling the doctor I’d rather my husband didn’t know the diagnosis wasn’t easy. I have no wish to repeat that request elsewhere.’

‘Shall you have the hysterectomy?’

‘Since it’s necessary, yes.’

‘And you’re hoping to keep that from Jake?’