‘Are you still going to do it?’ came Daisy’s voice. Laurel spun around. Daisy’s head was protruding into Laurel’s room, the rest of her still on the landing. She came all the way in and whispered, ‘Are you going to talk to Mr Williams?’

Laurel drew her down to sit on the edge of her unmade bed, noting Daisy’s wide, apprehensive eyes. ‘That’s my plan. Unless you’re having second thoughts?’ She’d had one herself but didn’t want to spook Daisy with it just yet.

Daisy ran her finger along a pleat in Laurel’s duvet. ‘No, I want you to talk to him. Only, when you came back yesterday you were arsey and said I had to stop finding you jobs.’ Her voice was high and strained.

‘Oh, Daisy!’ Laurel pulled the young girl into her arms. ‘I’m not sure it’s “arsey” to ask you not to tell Gabe I’d exercise his horse without checking with me first. Of course I’m still going to ring Mr Williams. Sorry if I worried you.’

Daisy pressed her face to Laurel’s shoulder, muffling her voice. ‘Can I stay away from school today?’

Laurel’s first instinct was to say, ‘Yes! I’ll slaughter the dragon that’s been spoiling your life before you go back.’ What she actually said was, ‘That’s up to your mum, and as you’d have to come up with a plausible excuse, and it might worry her, I think it might be better to carry on as usual. Let the school deal with it.’

Daisy didn’t lift her head. ‘I’ve got art this morning. What am I going to say to them about the money they’re asking for? Scarlett sent another text this morning.’ Red-faced, she showed Laurel a text. Don’t forget the tenners today.

Laurel stroked Daisy’s soft hair, her heart aching at how easy these kids seemed to find it to make another child unhappy. ‘I’ll call the school first thing, OK? If you have to talk to Scarlett and Octavia, just say you haven’t got any money at the moment.’ She paused, feeling she’d been pitched into the deep end when it came to dealing with teenage issues. ‘Or … I suppose I could drive you and we could go into school together?’

Daisy sat up, wiping her cheek on her sleeve. ‘You’d only get as far as reception.’ But she sounded half-hopeful.

‘I could take you into reception with me and tell them what the problem is.’ Laurel began to gain confidence. ‘We’ll tell your mum that I’m driving you into school again. You can get all sulky about it like you did before,’ she added, as if bestowing a treat.

Daisy managed a giggle. ‘’Kay. Deal.’ She threw her arms around Laurel. ‘You’re cool, Auntie Laurel.’