‘Sorry, Charlie, but you’re a bit too short. I’d have to walk on my knees to fit underneath it.’

‘I can stand on tiptoes.’

‘Aw, Charlie, you are funny sometimes.’

‘He can have mine,’ Jess says grudgingly.

I smile inwardly. She’s a good kid really. Jess hands her umbrella to Charlie and I beckon her closer to shelter with me.

‘Why are we here?’ Charlie asks.

I take his hand and try to be calm yet cheerful – hard to do, as I’m already soaked through and my heart is going like the clappers. I should have aborted this trip as soon as I saw the storm warning, but I just couldn’t bear to wait another day. ‘I told you, Charlie. We’re going to have a look at St Margaret’s Upper School, because Jess might be going there after she leaves middle school.’

‘I don’t want to go here.’ Jess crosses her arms over her chest and stomps along beside me, back to being grumpy again. ‘I want to go to Wareham Park Upper School like all my friends.’

‘You probably will go there, but it doesn’t hurt to take a look at St Margaret’s too. It’s got an outstanding OFSTED report.’

‘What’s an Office report?’ Charlie asks.

‘OFSTED, not office. It means it’s a really good school.’ I actually have no intention of sending Jess here, but I needed an excuse to come back to see Bella, and I couldn’t ask Matt to get off work early again. Plus, with the kids in tow it might be easier to talk to her.

I’ve parked halfway between school and the Morrises’ flat this time. That way, I could offer Bella a lift back home. I push down the voice that’s telling me I’m going way too far with this. Because that voice isn’t taking into account that I have just as much of an obligation to take care of my eldest daughter as I do my other two children. When I finally prove that Bella is indeed Holly, my dubious actions won’t seem dubious any more. They will be the actions of a wronged mother determined to get her daughter back.

‘Mind that puddle,’ I warn.

‘Anyway, Mum’ – Jess ignores me, walking straight through the puddle, soaking her shoes and socks – ‘we don’t have to go to upper school for ages.’

‘It doesn’t hurt to be prepared. It’ll come around soon enough.’

She huffs but doesn’t protest about it any more. ‘My feet are wet.’

‘I told you to mind the puddle. Don’t worry, we won’t be here for long. You can dry off when we get home.’