What if he was right – what if I was seeing things? What if it wasn’t just tiredness or hormones, or a trick of the light? I thought about my mum and remembered how I would sometimes hear her ranting to herself. Had she thought there was someone in the room with her – someone that she alone could see? Was it possible that her psychosis was intrinsic – not caused by narcotics as Auntie Jane had always maintained, and that I too was beginning to show the same traits? I felt a sudden tightness in my chest and throat, my breathing becoming rapid as panic rose from the depths of my stomach. I thrust Elodie into Jack’s arms.

‘I think I need to lie down.’ I turned to Mrs Barley. ‘I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well. Please excuse me.’

Tears coursing down my cheeks now, I sought the refuge of our bedroom. Everything seemed to have come to a head. I curled into the foetal position and sobbed uncontrollably, my chest painful from the effort. I was sure I had seen someone. Was I going mad? I was so tired it was hard to think straight.

There was a sudden tap on the door. I swiped a sleeve across my eyes and rolled over to see Mrs Barley standing in the doorway.

‘I hope you don’t mind – Jack said it was all right to come up.’

I nodded mutely. She approached the bed, her hand outstretched. She was holding a small white cardboard box in one hand and a tumbler of water in the other.

‘These are asafoetida pills,’ she told me. ‘They’re very helpful if you’re tired and emotional. I’ve often turned to them in times of stress. Completely safe – all natural,’ she added, seeing the worried look on my face. ‘Please, take some. It’ll make you feel better, honestly.’

She opened the box and shook out two tiny white balls. I accepted them reluctantly and popped them into my mouth, swigging from the glass she handed me.

‘There. Just swallow.’

I gulped and shuddered as the pills slipped down my throat, then suddenly panicked. ‘But what about feeding Elodie? There’s definitely nothing harmful in them, is there?’

‘No, no – like I said, all natural. Just you try to get a bit of sleep. I think everything’s getting on top of you, isn’t it? Quite understandable, after all you’ve been through.’ She gave me a knowing look and I wondered if there was some hidden meaning in her words. It made me uneasy.

I slept for a solid two hours, until Jack woke me gently. ‘I didn’t want to disturb you but the baby’s hungry.’