It was nine o’clock when she let herself into the house. Guy, of all people, was cooking in the kitchen. Highly diverted by the spectacle, Maxine watched him pile burnt oven chips and enormous fillet steaks on to three plates. Ella, cringing at the sight of blood, was wailing, ‘Ugh, I hate fillet steak. Why can’t we have proper food instead?’

‘I like fillet steak!’ announced Maxine, from the doorway. ‘Is there enough for me? And where’s Janey?’

Ella, sensing salvation, ran over and gave her a hug. ‘Hooray, you’re back. If you cook me some beefburgers you can have my steak. Janey went home after the fair last night. She called Daddy a bastard and jumped out of the car because she wanted to see her husband. Actually, I’d rather have fish fingers than beefburgers but not burnt like the chips. Daddy’s a terrible cook.

I’m really hungry,’ she added boastfully, ‘because I’ve been up in a helicopter to Manchester.’

Where convoluted storytelling was concerned, thought Maxine, Ella could give Ronnie Corbett a run for his money. Thoroughly confused, she turned to Guy. ‘I think I need a translator.

So what really happened last night?

You and Janey had an argument and she stormed off in a huff?’

Guy threw the frying pan into the sink, which was already overflowing with washing-up.

‘Her husband came back.’

‘What!’ Maxine gazed at him in disbelief. ‘You mean Alan? Are you sure?’

‘I already said that,’ Ella complained. Having rifled the freezer, she now shoved three icy fish fingers into Maxine’s unsuspecting hands. ‘Why didn’t you listen to me? Shall I tell you all about the helicopter while you cook my tea?’

‘He’s back,’ continued Guy evenly. ‘I don’t know any more than that. We were driving past the shop and he was waiting outside.’

Still stunned, Maxine said, ‘So what did you argue about?’

‘I told her to be careful, to find out why he’d turned up after all this time.’ He shrugged.

‘Maybe I wasn’t very subtle. It didn’t go down well.’

‘I still can’t believe it.’ Maxine sank into the nearest chair. ‘My God, that man has a nerve!

Poor Janey.’

‘Quite. I was going to phone her this evening, but I’m not exactly flavour of the month.’

Guy picked up an overdone chip, gazed at it for a second and put it down again. ‘Maybe you should do the honours. Make sure everything’s all right.’

‘How can it be all right?’ Maxine, who had never had much time for Alan Sinclair, looked gloomy. ‘He’s back, isn’t he? It’s bad news all round, if you ask me.’

But she found herself faced with a moral dilemma. As the news gradually sank in, it became more and more obvious that since Alan had returned, telling Janey about herself and Bruno was going to be an awful lot easier if Janey was happy. Telling Janey that in her opinion Alan was a no-good, selfish sonofabitch who deserved a boot up the bum, on the other hand, wasn’t going to make her very happy at all.

‘Haven’t you phoned her yet?’ Guy, coming into the kitchen at ten-thirty, found her half-heartedly tackling the mountain of washing-up.

‘I tried,’ fibbed Maxine, who had been putting it off as long as she could. ‘No answer. She must be out.’

‘Out of her mind.’ Guy picked up a Day-Glo pink fluffy rabbit – one of Ella’s trophies from last night’s trip to the fair – and placed it on the dresser next to a cross-eyed furry pig. ‘My God, hasn’t he done enough damage already?’

‘All this concern,’ she said in lightly mocking tones, ‘when you don’t even know him.’

‘I’ve heard enough. And you aren’t exactly his greatest fan yourself.’ He gave her a sharp look. ‘You were the one who told me what a bastard he was in the first place.’

‘I know, but I’ve been thinking.’ Maxine concentrated on the washing-up, scrubbing furiously at Josh’s cornflake-encrusted breakfast bowl. ‘You know how stubborn Janey can be. If you ask me, the more critical we are of Alan, the more likely she is to dig her heels in and take his side. I really think the best thing we can do is pretend to be pleased he’s back. That way, she canmake up her own mind, in her own time, without sacrificing her pride.’

Guy nodded in grudging agreement. ‘Maybe you’re right.’

‘Of course I’m right.’ That had gone well. Maxine, pleased with herself, said, ‘I always am.’

‘And it makes things so much easier for you,’ he continued smoothly. ‘What a happy coincidence.’

Damn. She raised her eyebrows. ‘A happy coincidence? Sorry, I’m not with you.’

‘I know you aren’t,’ said Guy. ‘You’re with Bruno Parry-Brent.’

‘Oh.’ Maxine gave up. So he had recognized Bruno’s car when he’d dropped her off earlier, after all.

No more deceit, Bruno had told her. No need for denials. We’re going public. Well, here goes. She raised her chin in defiance. ‘Yes, I’m with Bruno. I wasn’t before, when you thought I was. But I am now.’

‘Dear God.’

‘Is that a problem?’

Guy looked amused. ‘I expect so, but at least it isn’t mine. One thing I will say, about you and Janey.’

‘What?’ Maxine bristled, aware of the fact that it wasn’t going to be flattering.

He grinned. ‘You really do have the most extraordinary taste in men.’

Chapter 41

In the event, Janey rang the house first.

‘Oh, hi. It’s me,’ she said hesitantly when Guy picked up the phone. ‘Look, I know it’s late but I wanted to apologise for last night. I said some horrible things and I’m really sorry.’

‘No problem.’ Guy couldn’t help smiling to himself because Janey’s idea of horrible things was on a par with Maxine’s scathing off-the-cuff one-liners. ‘Believe me, I’ve been called worse.’

‘And I let you down,’ she continued, clearly racked with guilt. ‘I know how important the Manchester trip was, and I feel terrible about it. Were you able to find a babysitter?’

‘No.’

‘Oh God, I’m sorry.’

‘But it didn’t matter. The kids came up with me. So if you ever want to be bored rigid for thirty minutes by a seven-year-old describing what it’s like to fly in a helicopter,’ he added wryly, ‘just ask Ella.’

‘Really?’ Immeasurably relieved, Janey started to laugh. ‘I didn’t ruin the whole day, then.’

‘Well, the pilot may take a while to recover, but all in all it was a peat success.’ Guy paused, then said casually, ‘And am I allowed to ask how you are? Is everything .. . sorted out?’

‘Everything is completely sorted out.’ Her voice grew guarded, as if in anticipation of more Are you sure you know what you’re doing? remarks. With some awkwardness, she went on,

‘Look, it’s a bit complicated and I can’t really explain over the phone, but I understand now why he did what he did. Now he’s back and we’re giving it another go. Starting afresh. And I know what you’re probably thinking, but it’s my life, he’s my husband, and no, he didn’t run off with another woman ...’

‘Sshh,’ said Guy, as her voice rose. ‘Calm down. You don’t have to justify yourself to me.

I’m not going to criticise your decision, Janey. I’m hardly in a position to, considering the lousy mistakes I’ve made over the past few years. Besides,’ he added, choosing his words with care, ‘it was what you wanted, wasn’t it? And now you’ve got it; a second chance of happiness. For heaven’s sake, it’s what anyone would want.’

‘I know.’ Relief was tinged with caution, as if she still couldn’t quite believe he wasn’t going to put the boot in. ‘And I am happy. Look, I have to go now, Alan’s coming downstairs.

Could you ask Maxine to phone me tomorrow as soon as she gets back from London?’

At that moment Maxine came into the sitting room carrying two cups of tea and a packet of Jaffa cakes.

‘Well actually—’ said Guy, but Janey wasn’t listening.

‘And give my love to Josh and Ella,’ she continued hurriedly. ‘Tell them I’ll see them soon.

I really must go ...bye.’

‘She wants you to phone her tomorrow,’ Guy told Maxine, when he had replaced the receiver. ‘She thinks you’re still in London. She was in a hurry to hang up.’

‘And?’ Maxine demanded, avid for details. ‘What did she say?’

‘Not a lot. Just that she understands why he left, and that they’re making another go of it.’

He shook his head in disbelief. ‘Oh yes, and she’s happy.’

Considering the almost total lack of interest he’d shown in her own love life, thought Maxine, he was displaying an astonishing amount of concern for Janey’s. It really seemed to have got to him. But that, she supposed, was because he knew she was capable of looking after herself. Janey, far less experienced where men were concerned, was a sitting target for unscrupulous males like Alan Sinclair. Why, she had even been hopelessly out of her depth with Bruno, and he was a pussy cat .. .

‘I wonder what his excuse was,’ she mused, offering Guy a Jaffa cake. ‘It must have been spectacular. My God, when you think of the hard time some married men have if they just nip into the pub for a quick drink after work. They get home two hours late and their wives give them merry hell. Yet Alan gets home two years late and Janey’s thrilled to bits.’

It was certainly ironic. Guy, who had also been giving the matter some thought, said, ‘She almost expects to be treated badly. I suppose you get used to it, if all the men you’ve ever known are bastards.’

‘You’ve said it.’ Maxine grinned. ‘And then to top it all, she had to spend a week living here with you. Talk about the final straw.’

‘I haven’t treated her badly.’ He looked offended. ‘I was perfectly nice.’

‘You!’ Maxine choked on a mouthful of Jaffa cake. ‘You’re never nice!’

‘I am when I want to be. It all depends on the company