Aramis snorts delicately enough to avoid waking Lucie. "If you fall down that path, we'll have to replace everything in the apartment," he says with a chuckle. "Though with any luck, we won't have to - we can simply move to the country home."

In all the excitement of Lucie's arrival and the months leading up to it, Aramis realizes it's been some time since he thought of their future house. "I wonder how far off track we've placed our finances," he says, "Having her."