I swiped it away furiously. ‘Don’t you “sweetheart” me! You obviously couldn’t care less how I’m feeling!’

Ben frowned. ‘That’s just not true. You know I put you first all the time and look after you incredibly well. But it’s Emma’s birthday and I’ve always arranged to see her at some point on the day, even if it was just to drop off her card on the way home.’

‘Oh yes, I’m sure bloody Saint Charlotte spent half her life cosying up to your perfect sister. Well, I’m not Charlotte and I find Emma snobby and boring. She doesn’t even try to hide what she thinks of me.’

Ben pulled up in the street outside Emma’s house and turned off the ignition. ‘You’ve only seen her once or twice and she was perfectly nice to you. I don’t know why you have this thing about her.’

Little did he know that my hatred of Emma was born long before I ever clapped eyes on her and stemmed from Peter’s unstinting devotion and pride in her. I didn’t think she was that special, anyway. ‘If you insist on going in to see her, fine. It’s selfish and thoughtless towards me but then that’s you all over, so go ahead. I’ll wait here.’

Ben frowned and shook his head. ‘You really want to sit in the car while I go in and deliver my sister’s birthday card? You don’t want to wish her a happy birthday at all?’

‘Nope.’ I folded my arms across my rounded stomach and stared steadfastly ahead.

‘But she’ll see you when she comes to the door.’

I shrugged. ‘So? I don’t care.’

I could sense the cogs whirring in Ben’s brain. He looked up and down the street before starting the engine again. I tried to conceal the tiny smile of triumph that was tugging at the corners of my mouth, as he pulled out of the space. But when he pulled into another space about twenty metres away, I looked at him in fury. ‘What the hell are you doing?’

Ben undid his seatbelt and opened the car door. ‘I’m dropping off my sister’s birthday card and if you don’t want to come with me, at least she’s not going to see you sitting here refusing to get out of the car.’

My mouth dropped open as he slammed the door behind him and I watched as he strode back down the street towards Emma’s door.

I watched the clock through narrowed eyes, the anger inside me increasing with every minute that elapsed. Finally, after eleven minutes, I saw him coming back down the road. He got into the car and started the engine, pulling away too fast and causing me to be thrown back in my seat. I looked at him in disgust. ‘Oh that’s right, take your temper out on your pregnant wife.’

Ben took a deep, shuddery breath and exhaled loudly. When he glanced at me, I thought I could see tears shining in his eyes. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said at last. ‘It’s just that Emma’s my sister and we’ve always been close. She’s not had the easiest life …’