So that had been that. And it was understandable, after all, if Jeanie wanted to switch off from the real world for a bit, Paula supposed. Only . . . well, her mum was a proud sort of woman, and going off alone was completely out of character. For all Paula knew, Jeanie might be sobbing into her pristine hotel pillow each night, desperately lonely and feeling awkward too, about having to do everything on her own. ‘Tell them I’m fine,’ Paula imagined her sniffling, blotchy-faced, when the manager came knocking. (What must the hotel staff think of the Mortimer family, for letting this happen? Harry should have flown straight out to Madeira after Jeanie, begging her forgiveness, in Paula’s opinion. Instead he’d meekly come back to York and had gone to stay at Dave’s house in Clementhorpe because he couldn’t face being alone. Should have thought of that, shouldn’t you, before you went and cheated on Mum? she’d mused crossly.)

‘I’ll take Dad to the airport,’ she’d offered Dave, when she rang him the night before. The middle brother, he was closest in age to Paula and her favourite of them all, due to his kind, earnest nature. As eldest, John had always been keen to shoot ahead and do everything first. Stephen, the youngest, had been the rebel, involved in all kinds of naughtiness. Dave and Paula were the easy-going middle ones, who held the balance. ‘I just want to see Mum for myself, do you know what I mean? I’ve really missed her.’

‘Me too,’ said Dave, then lowered his voice. ‘As for Dad . . . honestly, he’s lost without her. He doesn’t know what to do with himself. He hasn’t made himself lunch once this week while Bunny and I have been at work. Says he doesn’t want to take liberties.’

‘Doesn’t know how to work the toaster, more like,’ Paula replied, rolling her eyes. Her dad was a total old-school man’s man, who considered the kitchen and everything within it his wife’s territory. You’d have thought he’d at least have tried to make himself something to eat, though, rather than going starving hungry all day, she thought in exasperation.

Anyway, here they were now, she and Harry, striding through the airport terminal together, both looking forward to welcoming Jeanie home. ‘Arrivals this way,’ said Paula, pointing ahead. ‘So, how are you feeling about seeing Mum again?’ she asked, remembering with a pang the way Jeanie’s lip had quivered the last time they’d all been together. ‘Have you worked out what you’re going to say?’