‘Oh, Phil, don’t be talking nonsense. We just want to spend the evening here like civilised human beings. We’ve had a lovely afternoon with our friends, and we’ve raised some money for a good cause and now we just want to have a sit-down and a cup of tea and talk about it.’

‘Shut up about your “lovely day”, you daft woman. A lovely day with Tom, was it? Gina’s father?’

Dora sighed. ‘Not that old story again. You know that’s not true. You’ve been fretting about that since the day she was born. It’s rubbish and you know it.’

‘But everyone can see Gina looks exactly like Tom. Even that daft girl at the fête saw it straight away.’

‘Dad, Gina looks exactly like me,’ said Ellen. ‘Everyone knows that. It’s only ’cos her birthmark looks like Tom’s that anyone would make that silly assumption at all.’

‘Yes, Phil, some babies have birthmarks and most don’t, as Betty told you on the night Gina was born.’

‘But how can I believe you?’ shouted Philip. ‘You’ve always been friendly with Tom, Dora, and … why wouldn’t you prefer him to me?’

‘What?’

‘All I hear is what a great fella Tom Arnold is. There he is, holding court at the Lamb and Flag, and half the village in there laughing at his jokes and buying him drinks. Of course you prefer him to me.’

‘But I don’t!’ insisted Dora, aware that she was lying. ‘It’s you I’m married to.’ That at least was true, unfortunately. ‘So what if Tom has plenty of friends? You’d have friends if you ever went down to the pub and spoke in a friendly way to anyone, or sat on the fête committee.’

‘Don’t you patronise me, Dora. I’m sick of you trying to jolly me along like a child.’

‘Then stop behaving like one! You’re just like a little boy who hasn’t got picked for the football team and is feeling resentful,’ said Dora. ‘If Tom’s popular it’s because he makes an effort to be pleasant, and if you were to make even half that effort, you’d be doing better.’

‘You see, that’s exactly what I mean,’ shouted Philip. ‘You’re always comparing me to Tom and finding me wanting.’

‘I do not.’

‘You do. You’re doing it now. How can a man live like this – his wife always comparing him to someone better? Someone she sees every day at the Hall?’

‘Oh, shut up with your self-pity and your envy,’ Dora retorted, knowing there was no point in trying to placate him any further. ‘All I wanted was a nice quiet evening at home after a busy afternoon. Is that too much to ask?’

‘Please, Mum … Dad … please stop shouting,’ said Ellen.

‘Shut up, Nell,’ yelled Philip. ‘You say you and Gina look alike—’