Lucy Greenwell

And there's something else about Selina.

She's open-hearted, unsuspicious by nature.

So while the village was alive with rumours, in the house they were sure it wasn't hers, even as the police began to ask questions.

If they've rung you up and said, we think it's hers, you would have said it's not hers?

Why were you so sure?

Unless she had somebody with her, how could she have cleared up all the mess and been so together?

Childbirth is a messy job, and the person giving birth isn't normally in much of a state to tidy up afterwards.

But I suppose we don't know for sure that Jennifer gave birth in the house.

Perhaps it happened outside somewhere, though it was October, so not very warm.

Jess has always imagined that her mother had a helper.

But if she did, it wasn't Selina.

Did you ever talk to her about the rumours, to Jennifer?

They still struggle to wrap their heads around it.

Who might have helped her?

Did you ever wonder who it could have been?

I know Catherine.

She arrived to help look after me and my siblings that same year, in 1987, just as my mother, a photographer, started showing symptoms of the MS that she'd been diagnosed with.

Catherine fitted in with the other local nannies, au pairs and mother's helps.

They were all young, unmarried, and they hung out together.

Catherine remembers Jennifer as someone who laughed easily, who was fun.