‘I’m sorry,’ Lou said. ‘Would you like your tea?’ She picked up Elizabeth’s cup and saucer but put them back down when Elizabeth slowly shook her head.

Great job, Lou. She had rushed headlong into this meeting. If she had paused for even a second to consider how it would play out, she might have thought twice about barging in on this old lady and scaring her half to death. Lou looked up to find Elizabeth staring at her.

‘I shouldn’t have said anything,’ Lou said. ‘I shouldn’t have come into your house upsetting –’

‘I’ve waited so long,’ Elizabeth said quietly. ‘I knew, I just knew, that one day someone would come. And here you are.’

‘I can leave, if this is too painful for you.’

‘Painful? It’s not painful.’ Elizabeth’s face burst into a smile, taking Lou by surprise. She half laughed, half cried when she said, ‘It’s wonderful. It’s a miracle. I’ve waited most of my life to meet somebody else who knows … Oh my dear, oh my Good Lord! For the longest time, I thought I might be quite insane. But here you are. Proof that I’m compos mentis after all. Unless we are sharing an hallucination.’

‘It’s a possibility,’ Lou smiled, relieved by Elizabeth’s reaction, and that she hadn’t given her a heart attack.

Elizabeth took Lou’s hands in hers. ‘Where are my manners? I haven’t even asked your name.’

‘My name’s Louisa Arnold.’

‘Louisa Arnold,’ Elizabeth said, trying the sound of it. ‘What a pretty name. You can have no idea how wonderful it is to meet you, Louisa.’ She gave Lou’s hands a squeeze. ‘Please, don’t be coy. I can sense your reluctance. You need to understand that I’ve had a whole lifetime to come to terms with my experiences at Hill House. Nothing you say will shock me. I may be old, but I have a strong heart. I’m desperate to hear about Leo. Tell me, Louisa, how is she? And her family? Are they all well?’

‘They were when I last saw them.’

‘Which was when?’

‘This morning.’

‘This morning!’ Elizabeth clapped her hands together. ‘This calls for something a little more celebratory than tea.’ She directed Lou to the dresser and a bottle of sherry. ‘Would you mind, I’m as giddy as a kipper. I’m afraid I’d spill it.’

Lou got up, poured two glasses and handed one to Elizabeth.

‘So,’ Elizabeth said after taking a sip. ‘Is Leo still a young woman? She must be married if you know her as Mrs? Does she have children?’

Did she? With a sense of shame, Lou realised how little she knew of Mrs Hart’s life. ‘She’s widowed and has no children that I know of. But she does have a niece and two nephews who she adores and who adore her.’

‘Oh, that’s wonderful. Leo deserves to be loved. She has a huge heart. She welcomed me into her life so warmly.’

‘She has never forgotten your friendship. That’s why I’m here.’ Slowly, Lou, take it carefully. ‘You see, Mrs Hart has no idea when or where I came from. But to help me understand my situation, she confided in me about you and the life you’d shared as children. She confessed that as a child she was some kind of vessel for Hill House.’