‘And have you thought any more about contacting your parents before you go?’ she asked.

These were words she had definitely had no qualms about saying before.

‘I have,’ I told her.

‘And?’

‘Well, I talked it through with Jonathan and he agrees with me. As we’re no longer in contact with them, where in the world I’m living won’t make any difference to the situation.’

I heard Dolly sigh.

‘Look,’ I said, beginning to feel ruffled, ‘you know as well as I do what Mum said that last time Jonathan saw her, and I can’t forgive either her or Dad for that on top of everything else, I just can’t—’

‘And yet you forgave Jonathan last year,’ she interrupted, ‘and his behaviour was—’

‘Can we just change the subject, please?’ I cut in. ‘How are your plans for Christmas shaping up?’

Another sigh.

‘I’m not going to talk about my parents, Dolly.’

‘In that case,’ she said, finally letting it go, ‘and as you’ve asked, I do want to talk to you about Christmas.’

‘Oh?’

‘Yes, I was wondering if there might be a chance that you would come to stay with me in the run-up to it. You said yourself that Jonathan is going to be away a lot and that you had no festive plans of your own.’

I had said that.

‘So, I was thinking,’ she carried on, ‘that it would be nice, for me especially I suppose, if you could come and help me with mine. You know how much I love it all and it would mean so much if we could have this very last Christmas together.’

‘What do you mean by very last Christmas?’ I frowned, even though she couldn’t see me.

The way she had said it made it sound so final.

‘Your last Christmas here, in the UK, of course,’ she went on. ‘I can’t imagine you will be rushing back here next December to celebrate something you aren’t all that bothered about. I’ll be lucky to get so much as a phone call before you head off to the beach for your barbecue, or whatever it is you’ll be having.’

‘I think that’s an Australian thing,’ I told her.

‘Well, whatever,’ she said. ‘What do you think?’

‘Can I let you know?’

‘Of course, but I hope you’ll say yes. I’ve decided I’m giving up work at Christmas now, instead of in the summer and it would be lovely to have you here with me when the time comes.’

That was almost more of a surprise than Jonathan asking me to move to Abu Dhabi.

‘Oh, my goodness,’ I gasped. ‘Why the change of plan?’

Dolly took a moment before answering.