“Any friends of yours are welcome. The more the merrier. I’d like the house filled up. Live there for us.”

“I want to know where you’ll be, you and Izzy. I know you’re selling the house, I had to sign those papers too.” Paul is watching her closely. “And I want my share of the money; I need a better lawyer.”

“You have to repay the money to Izzy’s trust fund first.”

He shrugs.

“If you manage to get out, God knows how, stay away from us.” She gets up, catching his look of astonishment. He was always the one who ended conversations, never her, and now she is ending everything for good. She makes herself walk out of the room despite wanting to run as fast as she can. She is going toward freedom, though she can feel his eyes boring into her back.

A week later she is standing next to Izzy in Eve’s kitchen as they peel potatoes for supper. Izzy’s red nails sparkle in the water, she cuts deep into the white flesh; her potatoes end up half the size but she’s helping, she looks absorbed. This is a good moment to share plans.

“We’ve got somewhere to live, Izzy.”

“Yeah, I know.” Izzy’s mouth curves in a little smile. “Poppy told me; Eve says we can stay as long as we like.”

Through the window Melissa sees Eric walking slowly around the garden, Eve behind him holding Sorrel’s hand as she skips along beside her. The little girl looks content, but her parents aren’t talking or touching. “I mean I’ve found another house, for us.”

“My counselor said no upheavals.” Izzy’s voice becomes hard, she’s still scared. “She told you, no big changes.”

“Think of them.” She nods through the window. Eric has stopped to pin back a strand of wisteria that’s blowing in the wind, Eve continues past him as though he were invisible. “They need to recover in peace if they’re to survive everything that’s happened.”

“So do I.” Izzy has stopped peeling potatoes; she stares at her mother, the old Izzy look.

“That’s the best thing about it.” Melissa speaks calmly. She is stronger now, she reminds herself, she needs to stand firm. “A client has offered us his house in Wiltshire while he’s abroad. It’s peaceful, and your father will never find us there.”

“What do you mean?” Izzy steps back. “Is he getting out?”

Melissa puts her arm around her. “Of course not. The new case hasn’t even come to trial yet and when it does, he’ll be locked away for years. All the same, we need a new start somewhere else, we have to build new memories.”

“What about school?”

“There are some great schools in Salisbury.”

“I need to be with my friends.” Izzy sounds frightened.

“We’ll see them often, sweetie, they can come and stay during breaks whenever you like. And you’ll make new ones.”

Izzy doesn’t reply. Melissa busies herself putting the pot of potatoes on the stove and clearing out the sink. “We’re stronger now, we’ll manage, you’ll see. Lina’s coming too.” She turns to smile at her daughter but Izzy isn’t there. The door to the garden is open. Through the window she sees her approach Eve and take Sorrel’s other hand. Melissa’s are full of wet peelings, soft and already disintegrating. It’s natural Izzy would want to stay in familiar surroundings. She does too—she dreads leaving Eve and Grace—but Izzy’s safety has to come first. If Paul gets out, Eve’s house is the first place he would look. She puts the peelings in the trash bin and shuts the lid firmly.