The tone of his voice and his question sounded so natural. He talked as if we were picking up a conversation we’d already started and catching up on each other’s news rather than having our first exchange since he had abused me, both mentally and physically. Everything about him, from his tone of voice, to his relaxed stance, told me that he had conveniently swept it all aside and was expecting us to carry on as if none of it had happened.

‘I’m guessing school must have broken up for the holidays and of course Dolly has properly retired now, hasn’t she?’ he carried on when I didn’t answer. ‘Did she have a lovely party?’

My mouth opened and closed but no words came out. I must have looked like a goldfish. I certainly felt like a fish out of water. Even though I was feeling dog-tired I knew I would have been better able to cope with a confrontation than this mountain range of denial I now had to scale. I knew from former battles that if Jonathan didn’t want to face up to something then he would refuse point blank to acknowledge its existence.

‘Yes,’ I said, finally finding my voice, ‘yes, she did.’

‘They’re going to miss her—’

‘Jonathan,’ I interrupted. ‘I really haven’t called to chat.’

‘It’s fine,’ he said, his eyes flicking to the clock on the kitchen wall. ‘I’ve got time and I want to hear all about it. I’ve been so tempted to ring you this week. I’ve got so much to tell you about the move and I’ve been so desperate to hear your voice.’

That was funny, as Dolly had pointed out and I now realised I thought he preferred the sound of his own.

‘But I didn’t give in,’ he said, his attention swinging back to me. ‘I did as you asked, Hattie.’

Was that the paper he was going to use to try and cover over the cracks in our relationship? He hadn’t called me for a few days ergo all was well. If it was, I didn’t like the pattern, it didn’t match mine and I wasn’t going to settle for it.

‘And I do appreciate that,’ I told him, determined to keep my tone light and my hammer hidden until I was ready to deliver the final blow, and besides, I had appreciated his silence. It had given me time to think.

Jonathan nodded. Now was my chance. He was waiting for me to say something else but the blasted words wouldn’t come.

‘I know you were feeling rattled after our argument,’ he said, eventually filling the silent void where my well thought through pronouncement on our relationship should have been, ‘but I hope you’ve cooled off a bit now and have had time to think about what was said.’