‘Blaming you? Not a bit of it. Of course we’re not.’ Blaming Robyn, indeed! There was only one person Paula was blaming in this whole saga and it definitely wasn’t her sister-in-law. ‘Now, listen,’ she said, deciding to steer the subject away. ‘Something else I’ve just heard – and as a fully paid-up member of the family, you’ll want to know this, too: Dave got a call, like an hour ago, saying that Bunny’s been in some sort of accident and is in hospital. I haven’t got the full details yet – I’ll pass on anything I hear from him – but maybe the two of us could go and see her at some point. We sisters-in-law have got to stick together, right?’

‘Oh, gosh,’ said Robyn, sounding startled. ‘I hope she’s all right. Yes – keep me posted, and let’s do that. Poor Bunny.’

‘I know. Sounded bad. I thought Dave was going to keel over, he looked so queasy on the phone. Anyway,’ she said, noticing the time, ‘I’d better go, but I’ll text you when I hear any news and we can sort something out, okay? And you take care in the meantime. Go and punch some cushions or something. Take the garden shears to John’s favourite shirt, at the very least.’

‘Don’t tempt me,’ said Robyn with one last sniffle. ‘Thanks, Paula.’

‘Any time,’ said Paula, starting the engine.

‘Bunny? Can you hear me, love? Bunny, it’s me, Dave.’

Bunny felt as if she were swimming up through a great thick darkness, unable to see where she was going. There was a voice from somewhere above her, a voice she recognized, but she couldn’t quite reach it, couldn’t quite register.

‘You’re in the hospital, darling. I’m right here with you. You’re going to be okay. Bunny?’

Her throat felt very sore as if she’d been screaming. Had she been screaming? Everything felt vague and blurred. Her head was pounding and she ached, but in a drifty sort of way. As if it wasn’t actually real. What was real, anyway?

‘The police said you were out near Skelton, heading north. With bags of stuff in the boot. Where were you going, love? Was it one of your slimming talks? Only you didn’t tell me you were going off for another one. Bun?’

Groggily she managed to open her eyes a crack, to see Dave peering anxiously at her. Everything seemed very white around him, white and bright, and she blinked, feeling disorientated. His hair was wet, she noticed, and then she remembered the rain. Drumming against the windscreen. Hammering on the roof. She’d been in the car, that’s right, she thought blearily. Driving the car through the rain. But where was she now?