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five
minutes', after travelling up from the country.
He was rarely in the office before ten o'clock but
when he did arrive he was utterly focused on the
day ahead; his family life carefully filed away into
another, separate compartment.
    He answered on the second ring, his voice sounding
rather flat.
    'It's Clio,' she said. She no longer said 'It's me'
ever since he'd once mistaken her voice for that of
his eldest daughter and she'd never forgotten the
tiny shock of hearing the unfamiliar tone of protective
tenderness with which he'd spoken to her,
thinking she was Sarah.
    'Darling,' he cried now, as if he were drowning
and she were a lifeline flung to him unexpectedly.
'Where are you? Did you get my letter?'
    'Yes. Yes, I did. Listen, I'm at a friend's house so
I can't be long. I had this idea about us meeting up.
Why don't you come down here for a couple of
days? Down one day and back the next. I could pick
you up from Tiverton Parkway. Hester's less than
half an hour away.'
    'Hester? Your godmother?' He sounded baffled.
'Are you actually suggesting that I should meet your
godmother, sweetie?'
    'Why not? I've asked her if you could stay with us
and she says she'd love to meet you. It would be
fun.'
    'Would it?' He sounded frankly sceptical. 'Are
you serious, Clio? I think I'd feel just a tad nervous
under an old biddy's beady eye.' He chuckled,
inviting her to share the joke. 'Can't you just see it?
I'm a bit old for creaking floorboards and being
sized up by an elderly matriarch.'
    Clio was taken aback, almost affronted by his
assumptions about Hester. She'd given him credit
for a more imaginative attitude. She realized with a
pang of horror that he'd disappointed her but she
refused to accept his stereotypical viewpoint simply
for the sake of harmony between them.
    'Hester's not a bit like that,' she said stiffly.
'You've got quite the wrong idea about it all. I
hoped you'd see it as a visit to someone who is very
special to me. Her age isn't relevant. Hester isn't
the judgemental type – and there's absolutely nothing
maternal about her.'
    'Sorry. Sorry, Clio.' He backed off at once. 'If you
think it'll work, then I'll fix it up when I get into the
office. I'm missing you terribly and there's a panic
on about the Harrison account. Twenty-four hours
with you would suit me splendidly.'
    She was touched as always by his readiness to
retract from a position gracefully, though her confidence
was slightly shaken.
    'I really think it will work, Peter.'
    'Of course it will. Take no notice of me. I've only
just got in and I haven't made the transition yet. To
tell the truth I'm having a bit of a domestic crisis.'
    'Oh.' She was alert, fear speeding her heart. She
could never decide how much Louise knew about
Peter's London life. 'Nothing too serious?'
    'We'll see. Anyway, nothing for you to worry
about.'
    Clio could tell that he was regretting the slip: he
must be rattled to let his carefully segregated lives
collide so casually.
    'That's OK then.' She knew better than to
question him further. 'Will you let me know when
you can get down? Any day this week will be fine for
us.'
    'Sure. Down tomorrow back on Wednesday would
be the best bet, but I'll have to check the diary.'
    'It seems odd, doesn't it, that I don't know what
your engagements are?'
    'Oh, my darling, it's just such a total desert
without you around.'
    'Good,' she said cheerfully. 'Just don't get used to
it.'
    'No chance of that. Look, I'll leave a message on
your mobile as usual, shall I? I know you can't get a
signal at Hester's but you can pick it up later on.'
    'That's best. I'll be taking some people back to
the station later this morning and I'll check for
messages on the way home. There's no signal here
either.'
    'It sounds rather medieval,' he said. A twinge of
doubt returned to colour his voice. 'Are you sure I
shall like it?'
    'Quite sure.' Her confidence had resurfaced. 'You
can trust me.'
    'Don't I know it, sweetie.' He was laughing again.
'Can't wait to