Katie was so desperate to laugh she buried her face in Jess’s coat. Sam did an impersonation of their fierce childminder that blew her away. So she was an old ratbag to the parents, but she was all they could afford. Jess liked her and the climate of chaos caused by dozens of children running wild in a big house, but Katie and Sam reserved the right to think the woman was a jerk. The phrase Elsie Chaney just delivered was the one Sam used when he wanted to crack up his wife. Sometimes he would duck beneath the comforter in bed and re-emerge as Mrs Chaney.

Katie recovered and withdrew her face.

‘No you’re right, Mrs Chaney. I’m sorry. Has Jess been good?’

The wide fifty-year-old woman crossed her hands in front of her and smiled. ‘This little pixie has been a perfect gem. A perfect gem.’

Jess shrieked in delight at the bare wall over Katie’s shoulder, deafening her mother in the ear nearest the outburst.

‘Okay. I’ll just pay you now if I can, Mrs Chaney. I think we owe you for last week too.’

‘No, your husband settled up last Friday thank you. Just this week is due. Shall I?’

She held her arms out for Katie’s wriggling child, so that her customer could get to the cash in her pocket-book.

Katie handed over the beaming Jess and dug around for her dollars.

‘I believe this blizzard is one of the worst I can recall.’

Katie was still fumbling.

‘You’re right, Mrs Chaney. It’s a stinker. But you have to admit the snow’s real pretty.’

Mrs Chaney wished to admit no such thing. ‘Claimed a life a few nights ago I hear.’

Katie looked up. ‘Oh?’

‘Joe Reader. You know. Estelle Reader’s husband.’

‘My God. What happened?’

Katie was horrified. She knew Estelle Reader to nod to in the supermarket, no more, but she was genuinely shocked to think of her being widowed so young.

‘Few nights ago, Tuesday it was, his pick-up went over the cliffs at the top of Wolf Mountain.’

‘My God,’ repeated Katie.

‘That’s the blizzard for you. For all his conceit, man hasn’t a chance against the forces of nature you know, Mrs Hunt. We have to learn to respect it.’

Katie handed over eighty dollars in twenties and scooped Jess back into her arms. Jess, however, had other plans. She’d spotted a small frightened-looking child in the doorway and struggled to be let down to go and greet it. Katie released her.

‘You know, that was the night that Sam was in Stoke. He got stuck on account of that storm. Thank God he stayed put or … well …’ She trailed off, shrugging, and watched her daughter trying to hug the small boy behind Mrs Chaney’s bulk.