Sean looped his arm round her shoulders and tried to kiss her, but she eased away and strolled forward along the beach. She was still upset, and she couldn’t so easily flip the switch from irritation and hurt to affection. His thoughtless words had created a barrier between them and she didn’t know how to reach across it. For her, sex was closely tied to emotion. She’d never been the type to use sex as a way of making up after a fight. She had to feel loved and nurtured, and right now she felt neither.

Sean caught up with her. “I know you’re upset. But that’s your mother being your mother.”

It wasn’t only her mother who had upset her, but this wasn’t the time to have such an important conversation. She was tired and hurt and didn’t trust her own feelings.

They walked together in awkward silence and by the time they returned to the house, Martha was gone.

While Sean called the girls, Liza threw together a selection of summer salads, tearing fresh basil leaves over mozzarella, adding toasted almonds to green beans as she half listened to the conversation.

“Everything quiet there, Caitlin?” Sean reached past Liza and stole an olive. “House still standing? No calls to the emergency services... What?... Yes, of course I’m joking.” He gave Liza a look that said, You see? I’m checking on them. “Make sure you lock up properly before you go to bed. And check you haven’t left the freezer door open.”

Liza sprinkled chopped garlic over baby tomatoes, red onion and peppers and put them in the oven to roast.

“That smells good.” Sean hung up. “The twins sound fine. They’re having a quiet night in and all is well.”

“What about the party?”

“You told them they couldn’t go.”

“Since when did anyone listen to me?” Liza sliced a sourdough loaf and pulled butter out of the fridge.

“They obviously are listening to you.”

She felt guilty for not being as trusting as he was. “Did you talk to Alice?”

“No. Why?”

Because she wasn’t as good a liar as her sister.

Caitlin was very much the dominant one.

“Nothing. Ignore me.”

Why didn’t she feel reassured? It was that look Caitlin had given her before she’d left the house. The yes Mum, that didn’t mean yes at all.

These were her children. She loved them more than anything. She should trust them too. She was never going to heal the relationship unless there was trust involved. She was going to be more like Sean, and always assume the best and not the worst.

“Thank you for checking. I appreciate it.” She kissed Sean on the cheek and took the glass of wine he offered.

The first sip was bliss, like tasting sunshine in a glass. Some of the tension left her.