‘Good, Mum. I’m really good … Well, that’s why I’m calling, actually. We wondered if you and Dad would like to come and visit this weekend?’

I felt a little frisson of excitement at the thought of seeing Peter again and of him seeing his daughter for the first time. It would be agony for him not to be able to say anything. I got out of the bath and wrapped my robe around me, as Ben’s voice carried through the flat.

‘Of course! She’d love to see you, too.’ His voice lifted an octave as he voiced the lie. Ben wasn’t a good liar, unlike his father. ‘Um, about midday? We’ll do lunch.’

Irritation flared, causing me to grit my teeth in fury. He was so bloody useless! Elodie’s routine meant I put her down for her lunchtime nap at noon. How did he not know that? I snatched open the door and glared at him as he finished the conversation and hung up.

‘Midday?’

Ben spun around to face me, with a dopey frown on his face. ‘Yes. What’s wrong with that?’

‘Oh, nothing, except that Elodie will be asleep. I thought they were coming to see her?’

Ben’s frown deepened and he sighed. ‘They are coming to see her,’ he said, in his most patient voice. ‘Surely it won’t do any harm to keep her up a little bit longer for once?’

I could have slapped him. ‘Oh for God’s sake, Ben! That’s typical of you. You aren’t the one who’s worked your backside off to get her into her routine. I’m not wrecking all my hard work just to suit you.’

‘Fine!’ Ben snapped. ‘Then we’ll have lunch first and they can see her when she wakes up.’

‘Well, you needn’t think I’m cooking lunch. I’ve got enough to do, thank you very much, without having to entertain your parents.’

His jaw tightened with the effort of controlling his temper. ‘I’ll do the cooking,’ he cajoled, clearly desperate that I didn’t change my mind. ‘You can sit and chat to them.’

‘Oh yes, that’s a good idea, because we get on so well.’ I knew I was being unreasonable but I couldn’t help it. He just irritated the hell out of me.

Ben came over and pulled me into a hug that I didn’t return. ‘Please, Bella, don’t turn this into a feud,’ he said. ‘They’re my parents and they’re Elodie’s grandparents. I don’t want them to become strangers.’

I wondered for a second how it would feel to tell him that Peter was actually Elodie’s parent, rather than her grandparent. The words would literally kill him. For a second, I felt a tiny hint of sympathy for him. None of this was his fault. ‘I’m sorry, Ben. I just … feel that your mum doesn’t like me and it’s really hurtful.’

‘She does like you,’ Ben insisted, tilting my chin up so that I was looking at him with my best doe-eyed expression. ‘So don’t go looking for insults and slights. Just be yourself and they will love you as much as I do.’