There was a pause.

‘Great,’ said Nell. ‘Brilliant.’

‘Oh, come on, it’s not like you don’t know anyone, and you’ll have Maude for company,’

‘Well, we need to talk about Maude.’

‘Not now, surely.’

‘Yes, now, Chris. She’s been going through my stuff again—’

‘Can you actually hear yourself?’

‘Presumably because she’s worked out there are no real consequences for her misbehaviour—’

‘She’s a kid.’

‘You can’t just dump her on me and go swanning off back to work.’

*

‘I don’t see,’ said Maude, ‘why I can’t come too.’

She had thought someone was calling her name at first, and when she had woken up properly, struggling upright in bed, she had thought there was someone in her room. Only it had turned out the raised voice had been Nell. Maude had got all the way to the kitchen door before anyone noticed her and the row stopped abruptly.

Her dad was standing by the counter, dressed for work and looking like he’d been up for hours. Nell was leaning against the Aga, barefoot and bleary eyed, still wearing her pyjamas. ‘You’d be bored,’ he said. ‘Besides, you’ll be much better off here, having fun. Going to the party.’

‘I told you. I don’t want to go to the stupid party.’

‘Then’ – Chris glanced helplessly at Nell – ‘you don’t have to. We’ll sort something out.’

‘It isn’t fair.’

‘The sooner I go, the sooner I’ll be done.’

‘It’s still not fair.’

‘I’ll be back before you know it.’ His bag was by the door, and he picked it up. ‘Do I at least get a hug?’ he asked, and after a moment Maude obliged. She thought Nell might refuse, she was still so furious with him. But eventually she crossed the room, reaching up to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

‘Drive safely,’ she said, ‘ring us when you get there.’

‘I will.’

‘I mean it.’ She glanced at Maude as if she was in trouble again, ‘there are some things we still need to sort out.’

‘Promise.’ But he was halfway out of the door.

Maude was in her pyjamas too, she couldn’t even walk him to the car. He gave her a quick, guilty grin, and then he was gone. She crossed her arms and looked up at Nell. ‘Well this sucks,’ she said.

‘It won’t be for long.’ But Nell didn’t look any happier than Maude felt.

*

She had to rely on texting to talk to Imogen. The whole conversation had been difficult, stuttering along because the mobile signal in the house was so rubbish, and once she was done explaining that her dad had totally abandoned them, it had been time to stop because Imogen had school.