Jim put his hands on her shoulders, kissed her forehead. ‘Darling, you know I’m crazily proud of you. But—’

‘There’s a “but”?’

He put his hands up in a defensive gesture. ‘But, I think things are different now. I don’t think you should be going away on foreign trips. There’s the baby to think of.’

‘The baby goes with me, obviously.’ She patted her stomach.

‘Well if you’re going to be facetious.’

‘What’s the problem with me going abroad?’

‘In your state, maybe it’s not wise.’

‘I’m pregnant, not ill. And I’m only a few months gone.’

‘Foreign travel can be tiring. You don’t want to take any risks with your health, or the baby’s. Can you just tell Roger you’d prefer domestic assignments for now?’

‘No, because I wouldn’t, and there’s no reason to.’

‘I think there is. And I’m the father, I do have a say.’

‘Your say is wrong. I’m perfectly healthy, the midwife said so.’ She swallowed her own lie. She’d rebook it – at a convenient time.

‘Syl, I know your career is important to you, and it’s fantastic you’re doing so well, but it’s not as important as our child, is it? I mean, you’re going to have to give it up anyway.’

‘Am I?’ Her thoughts flicked to Superwoman, the book Maggie had given her, and the page she’d read on the tube home. Two requisites for a working mother are stamina and an understanding family. Well, she had the first one.

‘Yes,’ said Jim. ‘For a while at least. I mean, you wouldn’t want to leave a tiny baby with a stranger, would you?’

‘You sound like your mother.’ She knew that would sting, and indeed she saw annoyance spark briefly in his eyes before his usual calmness returned.

‘Maybe this time my mother has a point.’

It helps to realise that husbands can be unconsciously selfish, emotional and unreasonable about the working wife situation, Shirley Conran had written. Therefore it may be unreasonable of you to expect him to be reasonable. Like hell it was.

‘And I suppose you’d be happy to give up your career just like that?’ she said.

Jim looked confused and she felt like slapping him out of it.

‘I’m not the one who’s pregnant.’

‘No, that’s right. So don’t assume to know what a pregnant woman can or cannot do. I will go to Denmark, because I want to, because our baby will be perfectly all right, and because I have no intention of giving up my career. And if you don’t like that, Jim, well you’re just going to have to get used to the idea.’