She walked home slowly, on coltish legs, looking about her as if she were newly released into the world, sights and sounds pouring into her brain. She still felt nauseous and the smell of garlic wafting from a kitchen or the sudden shaft of sunlight as she emerged from the shadow of a house was almost too much for her; she couldn’t properly tell what delighted and what repelled her. When she got to her front door, she noticed that there was a blackbird singing from the roof, fat liquid notes pouring from its beak, and again that disturbing emotion that she’d felt in the greengrocer’s halted her, so that she had difficulty turning the key in its lock. She put her shopping on the table and went straight out into the garden, where she sat on the lawn and ate one of the nectarines very slowly, catching the juice that dribbled down her chin, feeling the sun on her hair and on her arms. Then she went indoors and made herself a cup of tea which she drank with the gingerbread before wandering round the house, opening windows, straightening already-straight covers in her daughters’ deserted bedrooms. Downstairs, she rang a glazier and arranged with him to come round to fix the window in the early evening.

Then she answered the messages on the answering machine. First of all, Karen.

‘Hello.’

‘Irene. I’ve been trying and trying to reach you.’

‘Yes, I know. I was –’ She paused. ‘I was all over the place.’

‘Are you all right?’

‘I think so. I feel odd. The girls have gone, you know.’

‘I know.’

‘I keep thinking I’ll never see them again.’

‘You will. Of course you will. It’ll go in no time.’

‘I guess. I’ll have to think what to do with myself – I can’t just sit here for three weeks waiting for them.’

‘Come away with us.’

‘No. I don’t think so. It would be too odd – you and your family and me alone.’

‘You’re probably right. Have an adventure. Go and see Jem.’

‘Yeah, maybe I will.’

Then Jem, who answered on the second ring.

‘Oui?’

‘Jem, it’s me.’

‘Irene. I’ve been trying to get hold of you. I left a couple of messages. Have you been away?’

‘Not really, I just … I was – oh, never mind. I’ll tell you another time. How are you?’

‘I’m OK. But I’ve got something to tell you.’

‘Go on.’

‘It’s Juliet.’

‘Juliet?’ The air chilled around her. She waited for Jem to tell her he’d been dumped too. Then they’d just be a lonely brother and sister again. But he didn’t sound as if he was going to tell her something disastrous; his voice was calm.

‘She’s not well. She’d been feeling run down for ages. But then …’He stopped.

‘What is it?’

‘It still feels weird to say it out loud.’