This has got to be my darkest moment: when Nick’s absence boils down to nothing more than money; to house prices; to net worth. To a grubby battle over his assets. It makes me feel sick, but so does losing, so does seeing my daughter going without. I glance at Douglas’s face. Not long ago he was talking about leverage. What is he prepared to say to get that? What part will I have to play? It doesn’t bear thinking about. On the other hand, what Tim did to Anna was appalling, and if it comes to it, I’d rather use that than involve Lottie.

He sees me looking at him and smiles faintly.

‘Douglas.’ Do I really want to say this? ‘Tim seduced a girl when she was fifteen. That’s rape, isn’t it? Neither of them would want that coming out.’

‘What? Who?’ he asks.

‘The daughter of a family friend.’ Best not to name Anna yet. Approached carefully, she might be willing to make a complaint of historical rape, but I don’t want her scared off by Douglas. ‘Don’t say anything, all right?’

Before he can respond, the front door opens and Toffee’s lead jangles as it’s unclipped, keys are dropped on to the dish.

‘Oh great,’ I say. ‘That’s all I need.’

‘Grace,’ Tim calls. ‘You in?’

‘In here,’ I shout back. ‘You’d better go,’ I tell Douglas.

‘I’ll stick around. I’d like to see Lottie.’

‘No. Just go. You’ll see her at the weekend.’

‘No?’ He looks down at me, his lip curled. ‘You don’t get to tell me what to do. Back off, Grace.’

I recoil. I hate it when he’s in this mood; sneering and cruel.

He plasters an insincere smile on his face and looks past me. ‘Cora.’

I didn’t know she was there. She’s wearing a tailored wool coat that looks expensive. I’ve never considered or felt irked by the amount Cora spends on her clothes, but in the last few days I’ve become hyper aware of expenditure, and it annoys me even though it isn’t a new purchase. Nick pays for his mother’s extravagance.

‘What’s he doing here?’ she says.

Gone are the flirtatious smiles; her eyes are like flint. Her son is missing, and I’m home alone with his rival. She doesn’t like it one little bit.

‘I invited him in. Cora, honestly, you have to stop this. I’m not being disloyal to Nick. And anyway, how I live my life is really none of your business.’

‘I only hope you know what you’re doing.’ Cora turns on her heel and stalks out of the room.

‘Oh dear,’ I say.

‘She’ll get over it.’