‘I’m just irked. You know when someone disappoints you, someone you trust? You start looking at them in a slightly different way. Then you begin to see things you maybe didn’t notice before.’ I pause, realising I sound like a moaner. ‘Oh, ignore me, Patricia. I’m feeling cranky. I’m used to a routine and… well, I function best when I know that the people I love are doing okay. And now I have no idea what’s going on with any of them from day to day. Just snippets when we briefly have contact. They seem fine at the moment and my brother, Owen, is safely back from his little excursion to Salisbury Plain, so it’s all good; but there have been a few panicky moments already. It’s hard when there’s nothing I can do to jump in and help out.’

‘Ah,’ Patricia gives me a sympathetic smile. ‘It’s not easy for you. I’m sure they’re all thinking about you, too, and how you’re adjusting to life here.’

‘Hmm. Some maybe, but not all of them. Oh, I don’t mean that they don’t care, but I’m the sensible one. I’m the worrier and it’s not in my nature to be the person other people worry about. In fact, I don’t think anyone has had to worry about me since I was a teenager – well, until now. And that’s only because of the distance between us all. My parents were horrified when I broke the news to them that Aiden and I intended to get married.’ I begin to laugh, softly. ‘And I did say it just like that. Bold and to the point. He hadn’t even asked me formally at that stage, but we both knew that was the first thing we would do once we had our degrees.

‘Of course, everyone assumed we’d break up while we were away at uni, but we survived and even managed to get a small nest egg put away. But it was tough studying and working evenings and weekends. That’s the reason we never got engaged, as it was a luxury we couldn’t afford. I still only have just my wedding band.’

Her eyes light up. ‘I think that’s a lifetime of worry right there.’

‘I know. But I’m sensible, and I always do the right thing. That was the right thing, even way back then and I have no regrets at all, but maybe I’ve become a little too complacent as the years have passed. I loved my life the way it was, but things change and there’s no point in pretending that isn’t the case. The problem is that now I’m beginning to feel a little unsettled. My husband is off doing things that are out of character and that’s worrying.’