‘And you should have seen that girl,’ chimed in Justin, who had just walked through the back door, followed by Andy and Bernie. ‘Really, you’d ’ave to be made of stone to resist Karolina …’

‘Justin, I really don’t think that’s going to help,’ said Olivia, rolling her eyes. She was right. Bella rounded on her father, the father that only minutes earlier she had been so delighted to see.

‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, Daddy, I should have known that you’d be involved. You bloody men have no idea how much pain you cause when you can’t keep your fucking dicks in your trousers.’ Bella was on the verge of tears and everybody fell silent, knowing she was thinking of Ben and Poppy. ‘So, no, Mark, I’m not going to put in a good word for you. You should have seen the state Sam was in. Poor little thing said she’d never be able to look at you again without picturing you fucking that slapper on the boat. So maybe you should have thought about that …’ She turned to her father, her voice rising again. ‘However irresistible she was, Daddy.’

‘OK, darling, I think we get your point,’ said Olivia gently. ‘Why don’t you come into the kitchen and help me get this lunch together. Bernie, darling, make sure everybody’s got nice big drinkies, please?’

‘Course I will, Princess.’

And Bella followed her mother into the kitchen, leaving Mark gazing forlornly after her, Andy looking at his feet in embarrassment and Bernie busying himself pouring drinks. Justin sat down at the white wrought-iron garden table, looking sad for a few seconds. Then he shrugged and started to roll a joint.

Olivia’s kitchen was large and sunny, the heart of the family home. Faded checked curtains in shades of green, yellow and cream framed big sash windows that faced south onto the back garden. A wooden bookshelf crammed with well-thumbed cookery tomes stood next to the old, chipped cream Aga, and a couple of armchairs that used to be overstuffed sagged fatly either side of the fireplace – one upholstered in a shabby cream-and-green Regency stripe, the other a sprigged floral pattern of tiny blue flowers with green leaves on a pale yellow background. The scrubbed pine kitchen table was large enough to seat eight comfortably, and the double ceramic sink made light work of the mountains of washing-up Olivia liked to create with the elaborate meals she prepared (of course she had a dishwasher, but it was terribly old and never really got things as clean as she’d like them). Worn flagstones underfoot and mismatched jugs of flowers from the garden on almost every available surface added to the room’s welcoming air of warmth and comfort.

‘Sit down and have a drink, darling,’ said Olivia, opening the fridge and taking an open bottle of white wine out of the door. ‘And for God’s sake, calm down.’

‘Calm down? Mum! I don’t understand how you can be like this, after the way Dad treated you. Fucking bastards are all the same …’