‘Listen to me, Grace.’ Douglas responds. ‘Those two are out to cause trouble. I’m just giving us leverage.’

I open my mouth to object, but the door opens. Lottie looks from one to the other of us.

‘Hey,’ Douglas says. ‘You ready, Munchkin?’

‘What were you talking about?’

‘Nothing,’ I say, handing over her rucksack with a kiss. It’s scary how perceptive my daughter can be. ‘Be good for Daddy.’

Cassie calls. ‘Are you coming tomorrow evening?’

I walk upstairs with the phone. Cora has big ears. ‘Coming where?’

‘Cherry’s party. I’m sure it’s the last thing you want, but I thought I’d ask. It might do you good.’

I remember now. The invite was issued a couple of weeks ago. Cherry is about to be forty; most of my friends are ten years older than me. It doesn’t matter, except that, in many ways, I feel so much older than them. She’s having an official party to celebrate next week, to which Nick, Lottie and I are invited but won’t be going. Tomorrow is the unofficial celebration; the one where Cherry reverts to her early twenties and shrugs off the cloak of motherhood.

‘Anna’s coming,’ Cassie adds when I don’t immediately answer. ‘Cherry thought it would be a good way for her to get to know us. We’ll get her pissed.’ She giggles.

I bite my fingernail, thinking about Anna letting her hair down, maybe opening up a little, maybe even admitting that she met Nick that evening. ‘Yes, OK. I could do with getting out of here.’

‘Good girl. And if something happens, we’ll stick you in a cab home.’

TAISIE

July 2000

SHE CAME UP TO THE ATTIC, NOT TO HIDE, BUT BECAUSE she didn’t want to play out of principle. She was too old for stupid games. The window was open, the curtains billowing and the rain coming in, the windowsill pooled with water. Taisie ran to close it, banging it shut, and jumped, her hand flying to her chest. Izzy was hiding between the bed and the wall, tear-stained and pale.

‘Bloody hell, you gave me a fright! What’s the matter?’

Izzy rubbed her face, leaving a smut below her left eye. ‘Nothing.’

‘Bollocks. Tell me what’s happened. Has someone said something to you?’ The boys could be mean to her. Rory told her she was ugly once.

‘No.’

Taisie tried to pull her out, but Izzy shrank back, so she sank to the floor and put her arm around her sister’s thin shoulders. The bare boards tickled her sunburnt thighs. ‘So what is it?’

Izzy curled her body over her knees. She smelled of attic dust and BO. She was growing up. Taisie would have to have a chat with her about personal hygiene, since their mother evidently wasn’t going to.

‘What is it, Izzy?’

‘Leave me alone. I’m not telling you, OK?’