They were supposed to be dealing with the last-minute donations that had come in, but there wasn’t much wrapping being done. Cynthia was on her second glass of wine, cradling it in her lap, quietly furious. Caro was stretched out on the sofa because sitting up meant the baby pressed on her bladder and she kept needing a wee, or at least, feeling like she did, which in her mind was a form of torture. Nina was occasionally folding paper around the box she was trying to wrap but kept losing interest as they discussed the only topic that had been debated in Meadowbank since Saturday night.

Paige’s return hadn’t escaped anyone’s attention and if it had, the way she was waltzing around like she’d always loved the place and was relieved to be back definitely hadn’t. Bella hadn’t seen Nick as he’d been working, and Paige had done every drop-off and pick-up at school. Bella had worked hard to ignore the almost smug, triumphant smile that appeared on her face, but it had been difficult. Her eyes were red from crying and there was no hiding the complete desolation her soul had endured.

‘I didn’t speak to her, of course.’

‘You didn’t ignore her, did you?’ Bella asked. The last thing she needed was more gossip and her mum had been more than a little annoyed since Bella had told her what had happened. The list of swear words she’d come out to describe Paige had been really quite impressive and even her dad had been shocked by a few of them.

‘No,’ Cynthia replied emphatically. ‘I just ducked to the back of the shop until she’d gone, but it took everything I had not to walk up to her and give her a slap. And I didn’t need to blank her because Lynne Noble did that for me. After her husband left her with young Adam, she’s not got the patience for people who abandon their children for any length of time and quite rightly so if you ask me.’

‘I’m surprised she didn’t say something,’ said Caro, smiling. ‘She’s not exactly backwards in coming forwards.’

‘I think her face said it all. Paige kind of scarpered as soon as Lynne walked into the shop and glared at her. As lovely as she is, she can be quite terrifying. But that Paige. Urgh! Bloody woman. Awful. I couldn’t stand her before, and I hate her even more now for what she’s done to you. And that boy. I mean—’

Before Cynthia could launch into a full-on tirade that would inevitably end up in wine being spilled as she angrily flailed her arms around, Bella asked, ‘What was she saying?’