I went into labour at my husband’s funeral and my mother-in-law told me to call a taxi. Twelve days later the two of them were at my door asking for their grandchild.

He nominated a guardian, which is me, and a substitute, who is my sister.

He made a specific provision for any child of his brother Arthur, by name, born or unborn.

And he signed a statutory declaration, four pages, setting out what he knew about 2015 and 2016 and why he had arranged things the way he had.

That declaration is the reason Eleanor stood in my doorway holding a folder and then did not open it.

Because her solicitor had read it eight days earlier and had told her, in writing, exactly what would happen to the family firm’s reputation if she filed anything at all.

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PART 5 — TWELVE DAYS

I did not let them in. I did not shout at them. I had a twelve-day-old on me in a sling and I was not going to do any of it in front of her.

I said which grandchild, and I said Posy’s name, and I said Nuala’s name, and I said the word Ardenmoor.