‘Has he really?’ Ursula stared hard at Finlay and then looked back at Ann. ‘Well, let me tell you, my dear, your brother doesn’t know very much about your birthday so I wouldn’t trust anything he says.’ She took a piece of toast from the rack and put it on her plate. ‘Now, pass the marmalade please, I am hungry this morning.’

*

After the breakfast things were cleared, when Finlay was out with his friend Daniel, and Ann was curled up on her bed reading, Ursula and Isobel met in the kitchen to plan the meals for the week with the assistance of Dr Allinson’s yellow book.

Separately, they had studied it, and come to quite different conclusions.

Ursula turned the pages and peered at the small text. ‘He says sago should be added to every meal.’

‘I saw that. But I’m not sure how you add sago to a cake,’ said Isobel carefully. ‘Maybe we could start with the easy changes like vegetable pie fillings, and I could try making these lentil sausages as well. We can worry about the sago later.’

‘I confess I was dismayed to read that it should be in every single meal,’ admitted Ursula. ‘It’s not my favourite food at all.’

Isobel picked up the book. ‘If you look at the menu for a week written by Mrs Allinson, I think you’ll find Dr Allinson and his wife don’t think the same thing.’ She turned the pages. ‘See?’ She stopped her finger on the paper. ‘It’s here on page ninety-one.’

‘Really? I don’t think I read that far,’ confessed Ursula.

‘I read that chapter before anything else. It appears to have been written by,’ she peered at the page, ‘Anna P. Allinson. And it gives her address too, look. 4 Spanish Place, Manchester Square, London.’

‘I suppose I could write to her, since she has kindly provided us with her details.’

‘I don’t know that you’ll have to do that. She gives a week of meals but it’s really a week of three-course dinners.’ Isobel looked up at Ursula triumphantly. ‘I’ve read every one of the twenty-one suggestions, and there’s only one that has any sago in it.’

‘One?’

‘Just one.’ Isobel smiled. ‘It makes me wonder if the person who was giving the instructions was not the person carrying them out, if you see my meaning.’

‘Perhaps I can put the pound of sago I bought last month to the back of the pantry,’ said Ursula. ‘I’ve never liked the stuff.’

Isobel sat down at the table without asking permission. ‘What would you like to eat next week, I mean after tomorrow’s birthday food?’

‘I’m not sure. I think you’ve read this book more thoroughly than I have. What would you suggest?’