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Chapters (84)
  1. Chapter one
  2. Chapter two
  3. Chapter three
  4. Chapter four
  5. Chapter five
  6. Chapter six
  7. Chapter seven
  8. Chapter eight
  9. Chapter nine
  10. Chapter ten
  11. Chapter eleven
  12. Chapter twelve
  13. Chapter thirteen
  14. Chapter fourteen
  15. Chapter fifteen
  16. Chapter sixteen
  17. Chapter seventeen
  18. Chapter eighteen
  19. Chapter nineteen
  20. Chapter twenty
  21. Chapter twenty-one
  22. Chapter twenty-two
  23. Chapter twenty-three
  24. Chapter twenty-four
  25. Chapter twenty-five
  26. Chapter twenty-six
  27. Chapter twenty-seven
  28. Chapter twenty-eight
  29. Chapter twenty-nine
  30. Chapter thirty
  31. Chapter thirty-one
  32. Chapter thirty-two
  33. Chapter thirty-three
  34. Chapter thirty-four
  35. Chapter thirty-five
  36. Chapter thirty-six
  37. Chapter thirty-seven
  38. Chapter thirty-eight
  39. Chapter thirty-nine
  40. Chapter forty
  41. Chapter forty-one
  42. Chapter forty-two
  43. Chapter forty-three
  44. Chapter forty-four
  45. Chapter forty-five
  46. Chapter forty-six
  47. Chapter forty-seven
  48. Chapter forty-eight
  49. Chapter forty-nine
  50. Chapter fifty
  51. Chapter fifty-one
  52. Chapter fifty-two
  53. Chapter fifty-three
  54. Chapter fifty-four
  55. Chapter fifty-five
  56. Chapter fifty-six
  57. Chapter fifty-seven
  58. Chapter fifty-eight
  59. Chapter fifty-nine
  60. Chapter sixty
  61. Chapter sixty-one
  62. Chapter sixty-two
  63. Chapter sixty-three
  64. Chapter sixty-four
  65. Chapter sixty-five
  66. Chapter sixty-six
  67. Chapter sixty-seven
  68. Chapter sixty-eight
  69. Chapter sixty-nine
  70. Chapter seventy
  71. Chapter seventy-one
  72. Chapter seventy-two
  73. Chapter seventy-three
  74. Chapter seventy-four
  75. Chapter seventy-five
  76. Chapter seventy-six
  77. Chapter seventy-seven
  78. Chapter seventy-eight
  79. Chapter seventy-nine
  80. Chapter eighty
  81. Chapter eighty-one
  82. Chapter eighty-two
  83. Chapter eighty-three
  84. Chapter eighty-four

Which was just as well because they went there every year for their annual two-week holiday.

‘I like Devon too.’ It was always being voted Britain’s favourite county in one poll or another, so there was something reassuringly affirming in that. ‘But it’s not Nepal, is it? Or Cancún? Or Peru?’

‘You don’t need any jabs to go to Devon.’

‘No.’ And she couldn’t see the kids getting overexcited about travelling for hours on a cramped plane to see the mind-boggling treasures of the Incas. She thought their minds might be considerably less than boggled. All they needed to keep them happy was sand, a bucket and spade, a few hours without rain and a constant supply of junk food. But did that keep her happy?

‘What do you think we’ll do when the kids leave home?’

‘Hang out the flags, throw a big party and celebrate our good fortune.’

‘I heard that, Daddy,’ Daisy said without looking round.

Edie tried to stop Archie from wriggling. ‘Do you think we’ll still go to Devon then?’

Lee put down his knife and fork. ‘Is this leading up to something?’

‘No,’ Edie said. ‘Not really.’

They watched Jean-Luc Picard shoot some more aliens in the name of peace.

‘We never talk anymore,’ Edie said.

‘We’re talking now.’

‘I mean really talk.’

‘Good grief,’ Lee said. ‘I wish Captain Picard would get on with it. I’ve got to go out to the shed soon and put a top coat of varnish on those shelves.’

‘Is this what our life is reduced to?’ Edie said. ‘Bloody Star Trek and varnishing shelves?’

‘Yes,’ Lee said, kissing her on the nose. ‘Dinner was fab. Thanks.’ He stood up and left the room.

‘Bollocks,’ Edie muttered as he went.

‘I heard that, Mummy,’ Daisy said.

Chapter thirty-two

Chapter thirty-two

I roll out my sleeping bag and lie down on its soft contours in my tent, staring at a tiny spider that’s already taken up residence in the point of the roof. And I guess there’s a more technical term than ‘point’. Inside, there’s just about room for me, my stuff, my very smelly hiking boots and my trusty trekking pole. My home back in England could never be described as palatial in proportion, but this is taking downsizing to extremes. Quite how I would have accommodated a tent mate, I’m not sure. It would have been very cosy. It’s very cosy with just me in it.