Dawn stretched and savoured the delicious tingling in her limbs. She’d had the loveliest nap followed by a refreshing cup of mint tea – that Rick had brought to her in bed before leaving to pick the children up from school. They’d be home soon. She should probably get dressed again. She’d slipped into soft pyjamas for her nap, not wanting to crease her clothes.

The sound of a car entering the street made her sit up. That couldn’t be Rick; he’d walked to pick up Laura and James as it would be lazy to drive the five minutes to the school.

She was about to lie back down again when she heard footsteps on the path. Was that Rick? An urge to throw herself into his arms and tell him how much she loved him consumed her. Recently, she’d been beset by so many doubts but the way he’d treated her this week had to show that he loved her, surely?

Dawn reached for her dressing gown and slipped it on then descended the stairs, her heart full of love and happiness. She unlocked the front door then swung it open, about to greet her husband, and she stopped dead. Because the person on her doorstep was not the one she’d been expecting at all.

“Hello, Dawn.”

She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

“What’s the matter, dear? Didn’t Rick tell you I was coming?”

Her mother-in-law gave her a quick once over with her hard olive-green eyes then patted her dyed chestnut hair.

“Are you still in your dressing gown?”

“Yes actually, Fenella. I was having a nap. I’ve been told to rest.”

“Yes, I know that.” Fenella Beaumont sniffed. “So let’s get you back to bed then.”

She pushed her way into the house.

“My suitcase is in the car but Rick can get it when he comes home.”

“Suitcase?”

“Yes, dear. I’ve come to stay.”

Dawn’s heart sank.

“Sorry?”

“It was going to be a surprise. Rick said not to let on.”

I bet he did.

Dawn closed the door.

“Right, dear. It was a long drive so I’d love a cup of tea. I’ll make it of course as you need to go back to bed.”

‘Of course. No. I mean… I’ll make it now.”

“I’ll just go and powder my nose.”

In the kitchen, Dawn filled the kettle and noticed that her hands were shaking. She couldn’t believe that Fenella Beaumont was actually here. It wasn’t that she didn’t get on with her mother-in-law, more that she enjoyed the fact that they lived a good two hours’ drive apart. It meant that family get-togethers were limited to once or twice a year. Fenella was a very proud and opinionated woman and Dawn always found being in her presence somewhat tiring. So the idea of dealing with Fenella in her current fragile condition was something that made her anxious.

It wasn’t Rick’s fault, of course. Dawn had never told him about the things his mother said that made her uneasy, or that led her to doubt her own abilities as a wife and mother. She’d never wanted him to be in a position where he felt awkward having the two women under the same roof. But then that had never happened on more than a handful of occasions and then it had only been for a night or two.

But now…

It seemed that Fenella Beaumont had come to stay and Dawn had no idea how long for. Or how she would manage. Or how this would help her to relax.

When she heard Rick’s key turn in the lock, she took a deep breath. She had a feeling it was going to take all her strength to stay positive.

“I’m the winner!” James shouted as he ran into the hallway.

“Really James, I wasn’t even racing you.” Laura shook her head as she removed her coat, eight going on eighteen.

“Hello guys.” Dawn opened her arms and hugged them both. “How was your day?”

“It was okay.” Laura shrugged.

“Great, Mummy, we played football in afternoon playtime and I was the winner!”

“James!” Laura scowled at her brother.

“I was under the impression that footballers played in teams.” Rick closed the door behind him.

“I told him that, Daddy, but he won’t listen. He’s just obsessed with winning.”

“Good word, Laura.” Dawn smiled.

“We had theassawsuses today for creative writing.”

“Theassawsuses?” Dawn frowned.

“Yes, you know with all the different words in. Not to be confused with dictionaries!” She wagged a finger at her mother.

“Ah… you used a thesaurus.”

“That’s what I said, Mummy.”

Dawn met Rick’s laughing eyes and pulled a face. “Silly me. Uh, Rick… I think my other surprise has arrived.”

“Oh?” He raised his eyebrows.

“Yes.”

“Ohhhh… I thought I saw an unfamiliar car on the road. Dad no doubt changed it again.” He shook his head. “Are you okay with the… uh… surprise?”

“What surprise, Daddy? I want to see!” James tugged at Rick’s hand.

“Well if it isn’t my beautiful grandchildren!”

“Nanna!”

“Nanna!”

Fenella enveloped the children in floral-scented bear hugs and Dawn suppressed a smile as she noticed James trying to wriggle free. He still liked hugs but didn’t enjoy being squashed.

Then Fenella went to her son and took his face in her hands.

“Darling Rick, you look tired. Are you all right? I bet you’re working too hard and trying to run the house now that Dawn’s incapable. I mean incapacitated.”

Rick glanced at Dawn, evidently uncomfortable with his mother’s effusiveness and with her wording.

“Yes, I’m fine, thanks. It’s Dawn that we’ve got to look out for.”

“And that’s why I’m here. To help you all out while darling Dawn rests.”

Dawn swallowed her disappointment.

“Rick, be an angel and get my suitcase from the car. It’s that flashy new Jag out on the road. Your father’s choice, not mine. Laura and James, come with me and I’ll fix you a healthy snack.”

“There’s food in the fridge actually,” Dawn said. “Left over from lunchtime.”

“Left over?” Fenella’s drawn on eyebrows shot to her hairline.

“Yes. Allie brought lunch over for us… Rick asked her to. It was delicious. All freshly cooked and plenty of variety…”

Fenella shook her head. “Well, there’ll be no need of that now I’m here. Nanna Beaumont will take care of everything, don’t you worry.”

But as her mother-in-law took Laura and James into the kitchen, Dawn was unable to comply. Of course she was worried. Fenella was overpowering, bossy and hard work at the best of times. Dawn needed to be at full-strength to deal with Fenella and right now she wasn’t.

So she had a feeling that the duration of Fenella’s stay would be challenging indeed.

The bedroom was grey with early morning light when Dawn woke. She blinked hard. It was too early to be awake yet something had disturbed her.

She held her breath and listened carefully, wondering if it was one of the children. But neither of them was calling her.

Rick was on his side next to her, his breathing deep and regular.

So what was that banging?

She slid out of bed and shrugged into her dressing gown then crept across the landing and checked on Laura and James. They were both sleeping, Laura on her back with her hands on her chest like a fairy-tale princess, and James across his bed with his head hanging off the edge. She gently repositioned him so his head was on the pillow then tucked the duvet back around him.

As she pulled James’s door closed behind her, she noticed that the door to the guest bedroom was open. She stuck her head around it and the bed was made, the curtains open and Fenella was nowhere to be seen. For a moment, she wondered if she’d imagined her mother-in-law’s arrival, or if the older woman had decided to leave under cover of darkness like some blood-sucking vampire – only in Fenella’s case it was soul-destroying she practised rather than drinking blood – but no, the dressing table was groaning under Fenella’s paraphernalia. Bottles, jars, tubes, curlers, brushes, lipsticks and a small jewellery box had been arranged in order of size and colour.

Dawn shivered. From the look of that lot, Fenella was in for the long haul.

There was a book on the bedside table and Dawn peered at it, wondering what Fenella liked to read.

Walk With Poldark

She recalled Rick saying something about his mother’s obsession with the TV show but apparently his father didn’t feel the same. Married couples didn’t have to like everything their partner liked, although she believed that they needed to have some common interests. Dawn and Rick did; they still laughed at the same things, still enjoyed spending time together. She just wished she could shake the final nagging worries about their relationship from her mind.

Downstairs, she steeled herself before entering the kitchen. The sounds coming from in there made her wonder what on earth was going on. There was the clattering of baking trays, the rustling of plastic and the grunting of a woman labouring. And not in childbirth. As she crept in, she almost screamed.

“Fenella… What have you done?”

“Sweet peas and piglets, Dawn! You frightened me half to death.”

“I… I’m sorry but what…” Dawn stared at the kitchen she had loved the moment she’d seen it, with its clean cream-shaker cupboard doors and its black-granite worktops. She’d had everything where she wanted it; from the freestanding range cooker to the coffee machine and the digital radio Rick had bought her last Christmas that resembled an old jukebox.

But now…

Everything had been moved and the surfaces that she made an effort to keep scratch-free, were covered in things that Fenella had pulled from her cupboards, the things Dawn kept even though she knew she’d never use them. She fought the urge to check under the cast-iron bake stone that had been moved from the top of the range – where she kept it for making pancakes and Welsh cakes – and dumped onto the worktop next to the sink. It was very heavy and could easily scratch the granite if not handled carefully. She wondered if her mother-in-law had considered this.

“I’ve been giving everything a good clean and sort for you.”

“But I didn’t ask you to.”

Fenella held up a hand. “I know you didn’t, dear, but let’s be honest, it needed it. And had done for quite some time. Once I’ve finished cleaning out the cupboards, you can help me to decide what’s going out.”

“Going out?”

“Yes of course. There’s a lot of junk here.”

“But…” Dawn bit her lip. There was no point keeping on with the buts. Fenella was obviously trying to help and she didn’t mean any harm. “Okay.”

“Why don’t you have a cup of tea first though?”

“Yes. I think I will. Do you want one?”

“Not for me. I’d rather keep going.”

Dawn made tea for her and Rick, trying not to stare at Fenella as she continued her mission. Because that’s clearly what it was. She intended to sort out the kitchen and would not be stopped.

“I’m going to take this up to Rick.” Dawn held up two mugs.

“You do that. I’ll call you in about an hour, shall I?”

Dawn glanced at the clock on the wall.

“It’s only five-thirty.”

“Early bird catches the germ.”

“Worm.”

Fenella threw back her head and laughed. “In this case, it’s the germ, dear. The germs in this kitchen must have been having the party of a lifetime.”

“Right,” Dawn forced out the word through gritted teeth. “No need to call me. I’ll be up soon enough.”

She left the kitchen quickly before Fenella could deliver any further insults, then climbed the stairs, taking care not to spill the tea. After all, she didn’t want to give the older woman something else to comment on.

“I’m sure she didn’t mean it like that. She was just joking, Dawnie.”

Rick smiled at her. As she took in his sleep-rumpled hair and his broad shoulders, currently bare due to the fact that he only ever wore a t-shirt in bed when it was freezing out, she tried not to be distracted. She knew how yummy his warm skin would smell if she snuggled into him and how good it would be to have his strong arms wrapped around her.

“I don’t think she was, Rick. She basically told me that I’m a slob.”

“You’re not a slob.”

“Your mother thinks I am.”

He shook his head.

“Anyway, how long’s she staying?”

“I told you last night, as long as you need her.”

But I don’t need her.

Dawn took a swig of tea to prevent the response escaping. The last thing she wanted to do was appear ungrateful and upset her husband. He was just trying to help and she knew he’d feel terrible going back to work if he thought she’d be struggling and risking her health and the baby.

“Rick, I need some sort of idea how long because I like some space. You know… when I’m at home.”

“Dawnie,” he took her hand and kissed it, “I need to know you’ll be okay when I’m not here. I’ll worry anyway but at least if Mum is with you, you’ll have to take it easy.”

“But she’ll change the whole house around.”

Rick kissed the tip of each of her fingers and Dawn’s mind grew fuzzy.

“No she won’t. I’ll have a gentle word with her.”

He ran soft kisses along her wrist and Dawn struggled to focus on her point.

“And… ask her not to throw anything out without checking first?”

Rick let go of her hand then kissed her cheek before picking up his tea.

“Of course.”

Dawn sank back onto the pillows.

“Now how about we grab another hour of snuggling before the children wake up? You know I love any excuse to feel your curvy body against mine.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“I thought you said we shouldn’t—”

“Well yes… but I can still show you how much I love you, can’t I?”

He opened his arms and Dawn moved into them, the warmth of his body and his delicious male scent making her love him even more.

Then Rick’s mouth met hers and she floated away, caught on a cloud of love and desire, until their bedroom door swung open and heavy footsteps entered the room.

“Rick, dear?”

He poked his head above the covers.

“Mum?”

“I need your help moving something downstairs.”

He rubbed his eyes as Dawn peered out from beneath the quilt too.

“Can’t it wait, Fenella?”

“I’m afraid not, Dawn.”

“All right, Mum, I’ll be down in a minute.”

“Don’t be long!”

Fenella left with a humph and Rick slumped against the pillows.

“She can’t go bursting in like that, Rick.”

He met her eyes and she saw uncertainty wavering in his. “No, I know. I guess she’s just finding her feet around here.”

“Finding her feet?”

“I’ll have a word.”

“Please do. And quickly. Because I can’t deal with this if we’re not going to have any privacy, Rick.”

He nodded.

“I’ll get dressed and go and see what she wants.”

Dawn turned onto her side and closed her eyes. She kept them closed until she heard him leave the bedroom, because she didn’t want him to see her tears. The last thing she wanted was for Rick to feel torn between his wife and mother; that wouldn’t be fair at all. But she hoped he really would ask Fenella to tone it down a bit, or having her around would cause more damage than it would if Dawn was left alone to manage. And with her marriage already being a bit unsteady – at least in her own head – Dawn didn’t think she had the energy to deal with an interfering mother-in-law too.