‘Cheers, Mum,’ Catrin replied, hurt.

‘No, you know what I mean.’

‘Hey, we think Sol’s a crackin’ fella. You know we do!’ her dad chipped in. ‘We’re very happy with him, and your grandmother absolutely idolizes him. But will his mum and dad feel the same about you, that’s all.’

Sometimes Catrin wondered whether her parents were ‘the full shilling’ as her grandmother used to say. Liz and Huw Kelly were certainly very different from Edward and Amelia Blythe. She’d seen a few framed photos of them in Sol’s room, and she knew from what he had told her that they were both quite quiet.

‘D’you mean quiet in a shy kind of a way? Or in a sitting-in-judgement-on-me kind of a way?’

‘Don’t be silly.’

‘You can’t blame me for being a bit scared, Sol. I don’t even think you’re that convinced yourself,’ she said as they sat in his car driving towards Bayfield village and the Blythe family home. He squeezed her hand, but it didn’t go unnoticed that he hadn’t actually disagreed.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled into the gravel driveway of the double bay-fronted detached Georgian house, and Sol turned off the engine. Without looking at her he said, ‘Cat, I didn’t want to say this before, because it would’ve freaked you out and you probably wouldn’t have come …’

‘What? …’ She looked anxious. ‘Sol! What?’

‘Well, it’s just my mum … she can be really shy when she meets new people and sometimes it comes over the wrong way. Like you might think she’s ignoring you or being rude.’

‘She’s going to ignore me?’

‘It’s nothing to worry about. Just, y’know, let her get used to you a bit. She’ll come round in the end.’ And he got out of the car to avoid discussing it further.

‘You make her sound like a rescue puppy!’ She struggled with her seatbelt and clambered out of the passenger seat. ‘What does “in the end” mean?’

But it was too late. The front door had opened and Dr Edward Blythe stepped out – fifty-two years old, dressed in crisp navy chinos and expensive shoes, his hair thick and silver, his face handsome and clean-shaven. ‘You made it!’ he said, with what Catrin decided was an air of fake jollity.

‘Hi Dad!’

Instead of turning and running like she wanted to, Catrin rustled up a smile, and followed Sol to the porch, waiting whilst he and his father embraced. Catrin was about to follow suit when Edward held out his hand to shake hers, greeting her with a formal ‘Delighted to finally meet you, Catrin.’

‘Oh yes, hello. Thanks.’ What am I thanking him for? she thought. And they went inside.

‘Your mother’s in the kitchen. MEEL?’ It was a bit of a shock to hear him shout and Catrin jumped. ‘THEY’RE HERE!’

There was no answer.

‘You’d better go and see her,’ Edward said, motioning down the tastefully decorated hallway to the kitchen, from where several loud bangs were emanating.