‘Don’t think I’d have much time to oversee it. I’d have to leave it up to the estate agent.’

‘As I say, it was a thought. Richard came up with the Plan B in case …’ I don’t finish my sentence. I feel bad bringing his name up. I shouldn’t. But it’s too late. ‘And I’m thinking of changing agents anyway.’

‘Is this because of the key issue? The locks have been done and he doesn’t have a key to the new one, does he?’

‘No, but other things have come to light since then. I thought I was losing my mind – making things up, the strange goings-on were all my imagination – because of the stress. Today, Olive even made me take my holiday because she’s worried about me; I’m off for a week now. But after a conversation at school this afternoon – someone telling me Carl was having an affair with Leo’s schoolteacher, my trust in him has plummeted further.’

‘Oh, wow. Is it just gossip though? You know what the school playground is like.’

‘It’s possible. But I’ve begun looking into another agency anyway. Davina said she’s seen Carl bringing the same people to the house on several different occasions; I think he’s trying to make out he’s getting lots of interest, but nothing ever comes of it. He’s probably too busy conducting his bloody affairs to commit to selling our house!’

‘Okay, it does sound like a good idea, given his lack of progress. He hasn’t even kept me posted despite me asking him to ring me each week with updates.’

‘He’s got nothing to tell you, that’s why. And while he clearly thinks he can fob me off with his excuses, I’m sure he will be wary of you.’

‘At the moment then, you’re going to sit tight and wait and see what happens? Or are you going to be packing up and leaving for Eastbourne next week?’ He gives a weak smile, then begins slowly pacing from the window to the kitchen door and back.

‘I don’t know, Nick. My head is all over the place and I make a decision one day, then change it the next. I’m confused about what I want. I can’t go backwards, I know that. And I do want to be with Richard. As far as I can see, my only options are to stay indefinitely and drive myself nuts or rent the place in Eastbourne, which is an hour and half away from Richard …’ I pause before dropping the next bombshell. ‘Or the other option is to sell to the developers to speed it all up and release us both so we can begin our futures.’

‘You can’t do that, Amber,’ Nick says immediately.

‘Ethically, no. But legally, there’s nothing to stop us.’

‘My mother?’