‘You’re the one with the big old family party to go to.’

It wasn’t really her fault, of course, the house, the trip. Nell had glanced at the invitation when it had come, more than a month ago, then put it to one side, intending to send a polite refusal, but never quite getting around to it.

Chris had picked it up from her desk one day, when they’d been discussing Maude, and the long summer that was suddenly stretching out in front of them. ‘There’s always this,’ he said, opening the card before handing it to her.

There was an email address and a phone number printed inside, with the time and the date underneath the announcement: David and Jennifer Galilee, Silver Wedding Anniversary. There was a handwritten message too, although the writing was unfamiliar.

It would be great to see you, if you could find the time.

Love, Jenny and Dave x

‘We won’t know anyone.’

Chris raised a sceptical eyebrow.

‘You know what I mean,’ Nell said. ‘You won’t know anyone. And I’ll – it’ll be awkward.’ She couldn’t remember the last time she’d spoken to her cousin, her dad’s funeral, probably.

‘It’s up to you,’ Chris said, ‘but you never know, it could be fun. It might be nice to get away for a bit. Get Maude away from – everything.’

‘It’s a long way to go, just for one party.’

‘Then we make it worth the effort. Stay on for a bit, show her the sights.’

‘There are no sights.’ She stood the card on her desk. The photo on the front showed a yacht sailing out of the harbour on a clear summer’s day. ‘Do you think she’d like it?’

‘I don’t see why not. It’s the seaside, isn’t it? Everyone likes the seaside.’

They hadn’t been back since Maude was small, six or seven years ago, when an ice cream had been a treat, paddling in the sea an adventure. Before the arguments and the sulking, before everything had become so complicated and Maude’s easy affection had been replaced by something more guarded, more unpredictable. The rush of nostalgia took Nell by surprise. ‘Go on then,’ she said, before she could change her mind, ‘but don’t blame me if she gets bored.’

She had pretty much left everything up to him after that. ‘I don’t mind where we stay,’ she’d said, ‘as long as we’re together.’

She hadn’t imagined he’d settle on somewhere so big, so uncompromising.

‘Can I choose my room?’ Maude was already halfway up the stairs.

‘Sure,’ said Chris. ‘Go and have a look around. Don’t mind me. I’ll be having my heart attack in the kitchen, out of the way.’

Maude didn’t look back.

Nell leant back against the banister. ‘Well,’ she said, ‘here we are.’