Edie looked up from her perusal of the first plan. ‘Our business adviser?’ she said. ‘Who’s he when he’s at home?’ She was amused to see Albert bridle slightly.

‘I rather think he’s a volunteer from the Chamber of Trade, of which I’m already a member,’ Albert said. ‘They’re a great organisation and they’ll help us in any way they can. They don’t make mistakes, either. If they say an ice cream parlour in Miss Foulks’s shop is a non-starter, I’m afraid they’re right, but Mr Clegg – that’s his name – is going to keep an eye open for suitable property, hopefully within our budget, and will guide us through the shoals and hidden snags which we’re bound to come across.’

‘Well that’s grand,’ Edie said absently, and hoped Albert did not pick up on her lack of enthusiasm. The truth was she was worried over Tess’s apparent desire to speak to her alone. Ever since Albert had told her that Tess had found the wallet which she had kept under the old crockery in the Welsh dresser she had had an uneasy feeling. Only Albert knew that she had been living a lie ever since she had taken Tess on, and now she feared that the moment of truth had arrived. She could not imagine how anything in the manila wallet could have caused Tess to suspect that she had not told her the whole truth, so perhaps it was something totally unconnected with the papers. Perhaps it was something someone had said; she had pretended to be delighted that the ancient quarrel between Snowy and Tess had been resolved, that they were now friends once more, but perhaps it was not such a good thing. She had sometimes wondered whether Marilyn Thomas’s dislike of Tess came from some knowledge which Edie herself did not have. Perhaps Marilyn had passed this knowledge on to Snowy and now, with Gran out of the way, Snowy had told Tess something which Edie would much rather he had kept to himself.

But Albert was looking at her anxiously. ‘Something’s not right, Edie,’ he said. ‘Would you like me to come with Tess tomorrow evening, when she visits? I’ll willingly do so, only I’m afraid she’ll think it rather strange . . .’

Edie summoned up a bright and cheerful smile. ‘Nonsense, Albert!’ she said bracingly. She waved one of the plans. ‘And now just explain to me all the jargon on this sheet of paper . . .’

Chapter Nine

TESS HAD HAD her interview with the headmaster, who had been very sympathetic. ‘Naturally you’d like to get your Higher and go on to university, but like several of my pupils you feel that the financial strain on your parents would be unfair,’ he said. ‘Is that it, Miss Williams?’

‘Yes, that’s it exactly; only in my case I only have my gran,’ Tess explained. ‘At present she’s in hospital and won’t be able to leave the ward for another ten weeks. There are various complications too, such as the fact that our landlord is trying to let our flat as one unit with the shop beneath. Gran is in no condition to go searching for somewhere else for us to live, and since her injuries mean she won’t be able to take up her old job again even when she’s well, I can’t even consider leaving her alone.’