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Inside, Sylvia helped Ellie to the sofa in the open-plan living area, then looked around her. ‘Now, Ellie – where exactly is your address book?’

Ellie bit her lip. There was no way to avoid letting Sylvia go upstairs to the bedroom where she and Alan had made love only two days earlier. She was also thinking of the beautiful ring Alan had given her – lately her finger had become too swollen to wear it, so she’d left it on the dressing table. If Sylvia saw it and read the inscription on the inside, their secret would be out and there would be hell to pay. Hopefully, she’d put it in the drawer of the dressing table and not left it on the top, but she couldn’t be certain where exactly it was …

‘It’s in my bedroom – on the bedside table.’

As Sylvia headed upstairs, Ellie was filled with trepidation. What would she do if Sylvia found the ring, or something else incriminating, and came down the stairs screaming at her? She could hardly expect her help after that. Ellie also didn’t want to leave her address book in Sylvia’s possession, even briefly, since Alan’s phone numbers were in it, and Sylvia might accidentally – or curiously – look through it. Frantically, she looked around for a piece of paper and a pen, so that she could write out the midwife’s number for Sylvia when she came back downstairs. Ellie was quietly freaking out, especially as Sylvia seemed to be taking an awfully long time … Had she spotted something incriminating up there? Alan used a particularly expensive brand of aftershave and if Sylvia spotted it, she might start to put two and two together …

As Sylvia began descending the stairs, her demeanour looked normal enough, and Ellie held out her hand for the address book. ‘Here – let me write the midwife’s phone number on this piece of paper for you,’ she said brightly, producing the pen and paper she’d located on a nearby bookshelf. ‘That’ll make it more convenient, won’t it?’

Sylvia nodded, handing over the address book, and Ellie sighed with relief at having it in her possession once again. Having looked up the number, she wrote it down and handed the piece of paper to Sylvia.

Sylvia tucked it into her pocket. ‘If I can’t contact your midwife, shall I call an ambulance?’

Ellie shook her head. Although it was probably foolhardy, she was still determined to give birth at home.

Sylvia bit her lip. ‘I don’t like leaving you here on your own … Why don’t you just come back to
my
house? Then I wouldn’t need to keep asking you where everything was –’

‘No!’ Ellie had to stop herself from shouting, but the thought of having Alan’s baby in Alan’s house was like being in some alternative nightmare.

Sylvia nodded apologetically. ‘Sorry, I should have realised that you’d much rather be in your own home. I’ll gladly stay with you, but Pete will be finished at the crèche by three, so I’ll need to collect him then.’ She looked at her watch. ‘But that’s not for several hours yet. I’m sure the midwife will be here long before I need to leave.’ She smiled impishly. ‘Hopefully, you might be holding your baby by then!’

Ellie nodded through the pain of another contraction. Sylvia really was such a nice woman.

‘I’ll be back as quickly as I can,’ Sylvia assured her. ‘Is there anything I can get you? Any treats you’d like me to bring back?’

Ellie shook her head. Even if she’d been desperately craving for something, she couldn’t have borne the guilt of having Sylvia bring it to her.

When Sylvia had left, Ellie tried to make herself as comfortable as she could. She’d be relieved when the midwife arrived, at which point Sylvia could leave and Ellie would have one less thing to worry about. She wondered if the strain of coping with Sylvia’s presence and her own combined guilt and fear were causing her contractions to become even more severe.

Fifteen minutes later, Sylvia was back.

‘Our phone line is down too, so I had to go into the village to make the call,’ she told Ellie. ‘Unfortunately, two of your midwife’s other clients are also in labour, so she’s notified another midwife on your behalf. But it seems that the second midwife is already delivering a baby over on the other side of the village – but she’ll get here as soon as she can.’ Sylvia smiled apologetically. ‘I’m afraid you’re stuck with me, for a while, anyway. Thank heavens I’m not due for another few months myself. You seem to have chosen a very popular time of year to deliver, Ellie!’

While Ellie rested between contractions, Sylvia busied herself in the kitchen, making tea to accompany the freshly baked scones she’d brought back from the village bakery. Initially Ellie had refused to eat, but hunger and the delicious smells wafting from the kitchen eventually got the better of her. It felt bizarre to be eating food supplied by her lover’s wife, and she wished, yet again, that Alan’s wife was anyone but Sylvia. Then she could have a guilt-free friendship of her own as well.

As Sylvia collected the plates after they’d eaten, she cleared her throat. ‘Look, I’m sorry for – well, for pouring out my troubles to you when we last met. It was unfair of me – but I really was grateful for your advice. You were right, too. All I needed to do was sit it out.’

Ellie tried to look nonchalant as she spoke. ‘Really? I mean, do you think the affair is over?’ She felt a total hypocrite. But she was also avid for any information about her lover’s marriage. If Sylvia was happy, what did that mean for her own future with Alan?

Sylvia shrugged her shoulders. ‘I’m not sure – there are times when I’m still convinced he’s having an affair … but he’s a lot calmer lately. You were right when you advised me to say nothing. It’s true what they say – “Least said, soonest mended”.’

‘What made you think he was having an affair?’ Ellie asked, hardly daring to ask, yet keen to find out how Alan had slipped up, so that they might ensure it didn’t happen again.

‘The usual way, I suppose. I was sending his suits for dry-cleaning, and I discovered a receipt in one of the pockets for a very expensive diamond and gold ring. I was expecting to be given it for my birthday, but it never happened.’

Ellie’s blood ran cold. If the ring wasn’t on her bedside table, had she left it somewhere else where Sylvia might yet come across it? She must also warn Alan to be more careful.

She also felt sick at the thought of Sylvia uncovering her own duplicity. For some reason, she didn’t want to disappoint this woman, whom she liked very much. And it was clear that Sylvia would also like their tenuous friendship to continue. But Ellie knew she’d have to cut off any contact with Sylvia as soon as her baby was delivered. She felt dreadful at the thought of using Sylvia, then discarding her. The poor woman was actually helping to deliver her own husband’s baby!

‘Is there anyone you’d like me to contact?’ Sylvia asked. ‘I can easily drive into the village and use the public phone again. What about your – I mean, your child’s father?’

‘He’s away.’

Sylvia smiled. ‘Men, eh? They’re never around when you need them! My husband is away too, and I really wanted him to come with me for my check-up tomorrow.’

‘Will you mind terribly if you have a second boy?’ Ellie asked.

‘No, not as long as the child is healthy,’ Sylvia answered. ‘But a girl would be nice this time.’ She grinned. ‘Well, you know that already, since you’ve seen the gorgeous pink outfit I’ve bought!’ She looked closely at Ellie. ‘What are you hoping for?’

‘Like you, a healthy child.’

‘And your – I mean, the father of your child – would he prefer a boy or girl?’

‘
Aaaagh!
’ Ellie groaned suddenly and gripped Sylvia’s hand. She hadn’t expected to be glad of a contraction, but the severity of this one prevented her from replying to any more personal questions.

‘Can I get you some more cushions?’ Sylvia asked, as Ellie’s contraction eventually subsided. ‘They might help to ease the pressure on your back.’

‘Yes, please,’ Ellie replied gratefully. ‘You’ll find some in the drawing room – just out of the door and to the right.’ She suddenly froze. Ellie had just remembered that she’d taken delivery the previous day of a beautiful floral arrangement from Alan, and it was on the drawing-room table! Had she removed the card that came with the delivery? Luckily, Alan had only signed his initial, but the message had been quite racy.

Returning with several cushions, Sylvia placed them behind Ellie’s back. ‘I see you’ve got a beautiful array of flowers in there. Clearly someone cares for you very much.’

Ellie’s mouth was dry, so she nodded, too nervous to say anything.

‘I see your man friend has the same initial as my husband,’ Sylvia added, smiling at Ellie, whose heart was now in her mouth.

‘Er, umm, yes – his name is A-A-Anthony.’

Sylvia gave her a triumphant look. ‘Aha – I guessed as much! He wouldn’t be called Tony for short, would he?’

Relief flooded through Ellie as she realised that Sylvia thought Tony Coleman was the man in her life! What luck that she’d picked the name Anthony. It had simply been a spur-of-the-moment choice, but it had worked out perfectly. She smiled noncommittally, hoping to create the impression that Sylvia was right.

But Sylvia’s expression had now darkened. ‘But surely he should be here – with you? I didn’t realise that his job involved travel …’

Ellie feigned a contraction, hoping she could distract Sylvia from probing any further. She was genuinely feeling very uncomfortable, and desperately wishing that the midwife would hurry up so that Sylvia could leave.

‘Do you think I could have another cup of tea?’

‘Of course!’

Sylvia rushed into the kitchen and Ellie lay back on her pillows, relieved to have even a few minutes on her own, without having to continuously play a role. But it wasn’t long before Sylvia was back, and this time she wore a big smile on her face.

‘The phone’s working again!’ she told her. ‘What a relief!’

Ellie nodded in agreement, until it suddenly dawned on her that this reconnected phone could cause her even more problems. What if Alan rang and Sylvia answered? They’d managed to fool Tony Coleman in the past, but it would be impossible to think up some excuse that would fool Sylvia.

As Ellie drank her tea, she found that her hands were shaking. She felt out of control and on the brink of disaster. Where the hell was the midwife?

As a series of severe contractions ripped through her, Sylvia came and sat beside her, holding her hand, rubbing her back and mopping her brow and, for a while, Ellie managed to forget the peculiar relationship that existed between them. But anger towards Alan welled up inside her. Why wasn’t he here when she needed him? No doubt he was off wining and dining clients while she was struggling to bring his child into the world.

‘Have you ever helped anyone to give birth before?’ Ellie asked, as she tightened her grip on Sylvia’s hand during a particularly strong contraction.

Sylvia shook her head.

‘Well, I think you might be about to have your first experience –’ Ellie roared at the top of her voice as she felt a sudden urge to push. ‘Oh God, I can’t stop –’

She felt a burning sensation, followed by a feeling of total relief. Sylvia stared in astonishment at the tiny baby who had just appeared, then she galvanised herself into action. Turning the child over, she gently tapped its back. As it began screaming, she handed it to an exhausted Ellie.

‘Congratulations – you have a beautiful daughter!’ she said, her face a picture of wonder and delight.

It was a strangely intimate moment, and the women smiled at each other, each of them experiencing a gamut of emotions.

Instinctively, Ellie opened her blouse and held the baby girl to her breast, and she began suckling almost immediately.

‘Have you chosen a name for her yet?’

‘Yes, I – we – are going to call her Kerry.’

‘What a lovely name!’ Sylvia said enthusiastically.

Just then the midwife arrived, and the spell was broken by her cheery, no-nonsense attitude.

‘Well, I can see that you two have managed perfectly well without me!’ she said cheerfully, cutting the cord and checking Ellie and the baby thoroughly. ‘What a fine healthy baby!’ she added. Then she glanced at Sylvia’s stomach. ‘I can see you’ll be next,’ she said, smiling. ‘How nice for you two friends to be pregnant at the same time! When are you due?’

‘In three months,’ Sylvia replied, smiling back.

‘Well, you’ve done a great job here today, but now it’s time for you to go home and rest,’ the midwife told her. ‘You’ve had enough excitement, and I don’t want another early birth on my hands!’

Sylvia looked at her watch. ‘My goodness – it’s almost time to collect my son from the crèche!’ She took Ellie’s hand in hers. ‘Are you sure you’re okay?’ she asked earnestly. ‘Is there anything else I can do for you before I go?’

Cradling her baby, Ellie shook her head. ‘You’ve been wonderful,’ she said, tears in her eyes. ‘I don’t know what I’d have done without your help.’

Blushing, Sylvia shook her head in rebuttal, but Ellie could see that she was pleased to have her role in Kerry’s birth acknowledged.

‘And the midwife’s right,’ Ellie added. ‘After you collect your son, you need to go home and take it easy.’

‘Well, if you’re sure there’s nothing else –’

‘Thank you – for everything,’ Ellie whispered fervently.

The following day, a floral arrangement of lilies and pink carnations arrived for Ellie. The card accompanying it was signed: