Felicity Mason – ‘Flick’ to her friends – settled her daughter, Mia, into her pram and pulled up the hood to protect her from the bright sunshine. She turned to pull the front door closed behind her and set of down the short path to the stone wall that separated their modest house in Headington Quarry from the road. She chattered gaily to Mia as she guided the pram along the pavement.
‘We’re going to the shops to get something nice for Daddy’s dinner. What do you think he’d like? I was thinking maybe some of those sausages from the butcher that he said were so tasty, but they aren’t very healthy, are they? Perhaps fish would be better for us. But he did like the sausages, and the butcher said they were low fat, so they’re probably OK. What vegetables do you think he’d like with them? I know! I’ll get some baking potatoes from the greengrocer’s and do jacket potatoes. They’re supposed to be good for you. And some tomatoes – he likes grilled tomatoes with sausages. Now what shall we have for dessert …?’