The operation had also brought Beth closer to Melissa, who’d spent long hours in the hospital with her. And even after Beth’s recovery, she continued to rely upon her aunt, spending long afternoons in the little house at Beaufield Court, just the two of them. Abi supposed she should feel grateful that Beth had a responsible adult to confide in, but she felt her child pulling away from her, and was helpless to do anything about it.

All of these thoughts, she found herself admitting to now, speaking in a low voice to Valentina, both of them breaking off small pieces of baguette and nibbling.

‘Can I tell you what the worst thing was? It was the way Beth never expressed her annoyance.’ She shook her head. ‘I knew she felt I’d let her down, but she just bottled it all up, refusing to confide in me. I know it’s wrong to compare them, but if it had been Eva, she’d have made accusations, thrown a tantrum and we might have had a terrible row but then the air would be clear. Beth keeps everything locked up so deep inside it’s like the atmosphere will always be clogged with these unspoken things.’

‘It’s hard being the mother of two daughters,’ Val offered after a moment. ‘Getting the balance right between them, trying to be fair and equal. And it just gets harder as they get older and start judging you.’

‘Yes, exactly. I mean, we may love our children equally but that doesn’t mean we understand them equally, does it?’

Valentina reached out and touched Abi lightly on the arm. ‘You feel closer to Eva,’ she stated simply.

‘It feels wrong to admit that,’ Abi said softly, idly picking at the grass by her feet. She was assailed by a sense of guilt even saying these words, and yet there was something about Valentina that invited these kinds of admissions.

‘But why? It’s only natural. After Anouk was born, I felt like my whole heart was possessed with love for her – that there was no space there to love another child. But then Corinne came along and it felt like I grew a whole new heart – a second heart full of love for her. But I have learned that you can have two hearts beating in your breast, but only one brain in your head. Sometimes, it’s impossible to understand both.’

Abi smiled at the metaphor. It seemed a little touchy-feely. She imagined Mark turning away with disgust were he here. But Mark was not here, and Abi was still a little angry at him for that.

‘Does Guy feel this way too?’ she asked, and Val’s face crumpled into an expression of derision.