It’s inspired me.’

Rory sighed. ‘I know, Mum, I’ve been there.’ She felt a pang of guilt every time her mother mentioned Seymour House. It hadn’t been so bad when Rory had still been living in Scott’s house, because it had only had two bedrooms. But now Rory had such a large house, she couldn’t shake the idea that she should at least invite her mum to come and live with her and Belle.

As always, telling Sheila that she already knew something didn’t stop her mother from continuing. ‘Yes, well. Thankfully, that modern furniture in the lounge is quite light, as we have to push them all back against the wall when we have our tai chi class.’

Rory ran her fingers over a chenille rug. She needed to at least ask the question. ‘Mum, do you like it there? At Seymour House? I mean, does it feel a bit strange? Living in a flat. After the house?’

‘It’s fine, now I’m settled. The flat is quite small, but that means I have less to keep clean.’ Sheila picked up a psychedelic pink and orange cushion. ‘What do you think of this? Too much?’

Rory took it out of her hands and frisbeed it back onto the shelf. ‘Way too much.’

Sheila picked the cushion up again and replaced it neatly. ‘Anyway, I’ve got two bedrooms, so Belle can still come over and stay whenever she wants. I love our sleepovers.’

The guilt again.

Rory took a deep breath. ‘Mum, I’ve been thinking. Now that I have the house – once it’s done up, I mean – would you want to move in with Belle and me?’ There. She’d said it.

There was a stony silence next to her. Rory looked at her mother. They stayed like that for about ten seconds.

Then Sheila reached out and took Rory’s arm. ‘That would be wonderful, Aurora.’

Rory felt sick. ‘Really?’

‘Oh, I’ve been hoping you would ask! I didn’t want to presume, but…’

Rory turned back to the cushions and started to rearrange them. ‘Okay. Great. So, we should…’

She turned back to Sheila as she heard her mother start to laugh raucously.

‘The look on your face!’

‘What?’

Sheila put her hands either side of Rory’s face and kissed her cheek firmly. ‘Oh, my darling girl, thanks for asking, but we both know that living in the same house would result in one or the other of us heading to an early grave.’

Rory breathed a huge sigh of relief. Then grinned. ‘Thank God.’

Sheila laughed again. ‘Thank God, indeed. Anyway, your place would be too dull for me these days. It’s very sociable at Seymour House.