Cara looks from one to the other, almost as if she is expecting approval or, at the very least, relief. Max smiles at her, waiting for the blow to fall, but Judith stares at her sister-in-law with an almost indignant expression: this is not how she’s planned the conversation. Just as Judith begins to speak, to protest, her phone rings. She hesitates, visibly irritated at the inconvenient timing, then snatches it up to see who’s calling.

‘It’s Paul,’ she tells them impatiently. ‘I’ll have to take this.’

She moves along the passage towards the bedroom but they can hear her responses: surprise, disbelief, shock. Max looks at Cara, raises his eyebrows, and she draws down the corners of her mouth. It doesn’t sound like good news. Max wonders if he can manage to brief Cara whilst Judith is otherwise occupied but the call finishes abruptly and Judith comes back into the kitchen. She looks stunned and Max stares at her anxiously.

‘What’s happened? Are they OK?’

Judith sits down at the table without looking at them. She moves a mug aside, folds the newspaper.

‘Paul’s been offered a research post at Harvard,’ she says at last. ‘They’ll be moving to Massachusetts early next year.’

They both stare at her. Cara is the first to speak.

‘I know that it’ll be tough for you with them so far away,’ she begins tentatively, ‘especially with Christopher in Dubai, but it’s good for Paul, isn’t it? And rather exciting for Freya and the children.’

It’s too late now to explain the original plan to Cara, and Max experiences a moment of exquisite relief before he speaks.

‘It’ll take a bit of adjusting to, for us,’ he says encouragingly to Judith, ‘but remember how much you and the boys enjoyed Washington when I was posted there. It’s a great opportunity for them all. We shall be able to visit them. To explore.’

Oscar gets out of his basket and goes to sit beside Judith, as if he senses her distress. He puts his head on her knee but she pushes him away.

‘I wasn’t expecting this,’ she says crossly.

Max sees that there is going to be a great deal of talking and persuasion to bring Judith to a positive place and he glances at Cara, who immediately takes the hint.

‘I thought I might take Oscar for a walk before it gets dark,’ she suggests. ‘If that’s OK?’

‘Yes,’ Max says quickly, gratefully. ‘You do that.’

As she goes downstairs with Oscar clattering behind her, Max sits down at the table and prepares to comfort his wife.