‘Marlon? God, no. He works on the estate, but he dropped me off this morning and said he’d come back and collect me when I was finished. He’s such a sweetie. Remind me to introduce him to you. I think you’d like him. He’s picking me up by that big white building on the seafront.’

‘Spanish City,’ I said, and Clio nodded.

‘It’s been so lovely meeting you,’ Clio said. ‘And the children, of course. Thank you for inviting me in. I’m sorry about the whole “I used to come here” business. I’m obviously miles off the mark on that one. But I’m so glad that I knocked on your door because if I hadn’t we would never have met.’

‘Me too,’ I said, and I meant it.

As I closed the door on Clio I could hear the water splashing in the bath upstairs and Noah squealing.

‘Right, you two!’ I shouted up the stairs. ‘I’m coming up there and I want Noah out of that bath in ten seconds.’ Another squeal and a huge splash came from the bathroom. Bless them. My grand plans were one thing but right then I was perfectly happy with what I had under my own roof.

It was only later, when I was taking off my make-up, the kids tucked up and fast asleep, that I realised that even though I’d told Clio more about myself than I’d shared with anyone else for years, I’d probably never see her again. She’d just wandered out of my life as easily as she had wandered into it.

4

4

CLIO – NOW

It was her! It hadn’t really crossed Clio’s mind that the same family would be living in the house, although when she thought about it, it wasn’t really that surprising. Her own family hadn’t moved house for hundreds of years. To be fair, there had been nothing to suggest that the woman was Melissa’s daughter until she had said her name. Leah. Clio had recognised it at once from the entries in her father’s notebook. It was a relatively unusual name. Surely there could be no mistake?