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hands clenched so hard that my nails dug into my palms.
    Don’t say anything to her. Just don’t say anything.
    From outside the house came the shouts and laughter of the twins, who’d been released from the torments of Mrs Cooper’s lunch table before the rest of us, and were playing in the garden.
    Mrs Cooper said, ‘Have you put Charlie and Joshua’s names down for Gade Court yet, Matthew?’
    â€˜No, not yet,’ Matt said.
    â€˜Well you should do it as soon as possible. There’s no guarantee that they’ll get places just because you and Nicholas are former pupils.’
    â€˜We may not be sending them to Gade Court,’ Georgina put in.
    â€˜Why ever not?’ Mrs Cooper asked. ‘It’s an excellent school.’
    â€˜I’m sure it is.’ Georgina’ said, ‘but it may not be right for Josh and Charlie.’
    Mrs Cooper pursed her mouth. ‘Well, you must do what you think best …’
    â€˜Nothing’s been decided,’ Matt said.
    Georgina drained her coffee cup. ‘Talking of my sons, they’ve suddenly gone very quiet, which usually means they’re up to something. I should go and check on them. Come with me, Anna? I want to hear all about this penfriend of yours.’ She pushed back her chair and stood up.
    â€˜Sure.’ The afternoon was too grey and overcast to make the Coopers’ back garden an enticing prospect, but I wasn’t going to turn down a chance to get away from Nick’s mother.
    â€˜I’ll come out and give the boys a game of football once I’ve finished my port,’ Nick said.
    I hurried after Georgina, who was already striding from the room. Snatching my coat off the peg in the hall, I followed her through the house and out onto the patio. Josh and Charlie were chasing other around the apple trees at the far end of the garden. They waved to Georgina and me, and we waved back.
    â€˜They don’t seem to be doing anything too terrible,’ I said.
    â€˜I didn’t think they were,’ Georgina said. ‘But I needed a break from Mrs C and I thought you could probably do with one too.’
    I gaped at her.
    â€˜If I have to listen to any more of her snide remarks about the way I’m bringing up my own children, I swear I won’t be responsible for my actions. I put up with her for Matt’s sake, but – Why are you staring at me?’
    I said, ‘I’d no idea that you felt that way about Mrs Cooper.’
    â€˜I can’t stand the woman.’
    Before I could stop myself, I blurted, ‘Neither can I. She doesn’t seem to like me much either. I don’t know why.’
    â€˜It isn’t you. No girl will ever be good enough for her sons.’
    â€˜Except for Melissa Harrington.’
    â€˜Apparently. Although, strangely, I don’t recall Mrs C being particularly eager for her company when Nick was dating her.’
    I smiled at that, and Georgina smiled back.
    â€˜That’s quite enough talk about my dear mother-in-law,’ she said. ‘Do tell me about this penfriend of yours. Have you really been writing to each other since you were children? I didn’t think anyone actually wrote letters any more …’
    I was telling Georgina about Alex’s first trip to London when, much to Charlie and Josh’s delight, Nick appeared in the garden carrying a football. The three of them spent an energetic half-hour kicking it round the lawn, while Georgina and I cheered them on from the patio, before the light began to fade and we were forced to retreat inside. Matt and his family left almost immediately (Georgina told Mrs Cooper that she’d have loved to have stayed longer, but she really couldn’t keep the boys out late on a school night), and not long after, Nick decided that we too should be getting off home. Mr Cooper roused himself out of his post-prandial stupor to tell me that he hoped he’d see