I shake my head. ‘I’m fine. It’s nothing to worry about. It’s my age. I’m sixty-eight. Pushing towards seventy. An age where people need more rest.’

‘So nothing’s upsetting you? Worrying you?’

I take a deep breath. ‘There is the small matter of my relationship with Saffron.’

Miles stiffens as if I have poked him with a cattle prod. Shoulders wide. Back straight.

He frowns. ‘But you haven’t been arguing lately, have you? If you have, I haven’t caught you at it.’

‘We’re hardly talking. We’re not communicating properly.’

He sits on the edge of my bed and takes my hand in his. ‘What do you think we can do about it?’ he asks.

‘She’s underconfident. Not secure enough in her relationship with you. That is why she takes it out on me. And on the children. She needs to go and see a psychiatrist.’

He raises his eyebrows. ‘A psychiatrist?’

‘Yes. I mean she’s not coping, is she? Why do you think Social Care paid us a visit?’

‘Because … because …’ he splutters, ‘because someone vindictive wanted to cause us trouble.’

‘Maybe this person was concerned rather than vindictive. You should always think of things from both sides, Miles.’ I give him my best smile.

111

Miles

‘Mother, I’m a philosopher. I don’t just think of things from both sides. I think of them from every angle. That is my speciality. But what I think right now is that you are living on a different planet to me.’ I pause and lean towards her. ‘Are you seriously implying that Saffron isn’t capable of looking after our children properly?’

My breath is quickening. My stomach tightening. Saffron, maybe you are right. Maybe Mother did contact Social Care to cause trouble between us. ‘How do you expect to get on with my wife when you have such a low opinion of her?’

‘I don’t have a low opinion of her. She’s a brilliant woman. I’m saying this because I’m concerned.’

‘Thank you for your concern,’ I reply, voice clipped.

I nod my head cordially at my mother and leave. I find you in the kitchen, Saffron, making fudge brownies.

‘I’ve been talking to Mother,’ I say as I put my arm around your shoulders. Your body stiffens. ‘She thinks you are underconfident in your relationship with me. And that is why you are antagonistic towards her.’

112

Saffron

‘Antagonistic towards your mother?’ I say, wide-eyed and astonished, as I adjust the ingredients of the special fudge brownie mix I am baking for her tonight. ‘Miles, I can’t think what she means. We’ve been getting on splendidly recently.’

113

Saffron