‘Yes, well,’ went on Fred, ‘they wanted me to stay in hospital until the work was done, said I couldn’t come out and live here as it wasn’t fit for an elderly and infirm person who’d just had a serious op. Well! I wasn’t staying in that place with all those ill people. They’d call me a bed-blagger – blocker – one of those things. I put in a call to Jon and he came straight up here.’

‘He’s very kind,’ said Helena. This was demonstrably true and she’d experienced it herself. But there were still an awful lot about him she couldn’t be anything like as sure of.

‘He’s a good lad. It wasn’t fair, what happened to him.’

‘What did happen to him?’ Although it felt a bit wrong to grill a sick old man for information this did seem too good an opportunity to miss.

Annoyingly, before Fred could tell her anything, Jago – Jonathan – came back into the room with a tray. He found another little table and put the tray on it. On the tray were three chipped mugs of tea and a packet of Rich Tea biscuits.

‘The biscuits are a little stale, I’m afraid,’ said Jago. ‘I haven’t been able to go shopping.’

‘I’ve got shortbread in my car,’ said Helena. ‘Sadly it’s down the hill and quite a way away. The road was closed, which was why I walked up.’

‘You walked up the hill to see me?’ said Fred, astonished.

‘Sorry to break it to you,’ said Jago, ‘but I think she may have walked up here to see me.’ He gave her a sideways glance and a little smile that reminded her of how he had been when they’d been together. Why was he so different now?

‘It’s quite far,’ said Helena, ‘or I’d run back down and fetch them. The running down part is fine but walking back up is a bit exhausting.’

‘Why don’t you go down in your pickup, Jon?’ suggested Fred. ‘Leave me and your young lady to talk.’

‘That’s a good idea!’ said Helena.

‘No it’s not, not even for shortbread, even though Helena’s mother does make amazing shortbread.’ Jago was firm. ‘Now, Fred, do you want tea? Or are you full of healthier fluids?’

‘Tea doesn’t taste the same any more,’ said Fred sadly. ‘But shortbread would.’ He looked pleadingly at Jago, who shook his head.

‘Maybe later Helena could sit with you while I go shopping and collect what she needs from her car. But she’s only just arrived and she can’t be in charge of you without the proper training.’

‘Really?’ asked Helena. ‘Did you have training, Ja— Jonathan?’