She nodded. ‘Obviously it’s got to be advertised externally, but my greatest wish – as a team member myself – is that the board appoints someone from within our community. Someone who understands the dynamics and history of the Centre. Someone who truly cares. And can also operate spreadsheets.’

Tara’s heart beat faster. She had often daydreamed about changes she would make to the Centre, if she were in charge. Mainly tactical changes to personnel – a bit like Fantasy Football, but with more psychoanalysts and fewer mistletoe therapists. ‘What would it involve?’

‘Oh, you know what I do, more or less!’ Jacqueline waved her hands. ‘Admin, reporting to the trustees, talking to the accountants, allocating clients to the right counsellor … Of course, the time you can allocate to your practice is limited, but to compensate for that there is, of course, a salary.’

Tara realized her hands were shaking. She put down her mug before she spilled her own peppermint tea. A salary. This was the answer to her house problem! If she had a salary, she could get a mortgage. If she could get a mortgage for Toby’s half of the house, she could give him what was rightfully his and stay on in an architect-designed dream home she’d never otherwise be able to afford. Everyone was a winner.

She took a deep, shuddery breath and glanced at her wrist. Maybe there was something in Hero’s crystals.

Jacqueline leaned forward to indicate she was imparting something she strictly shouldn’t. There was a reason, Tara realized, this conversation wasn’t happening in Jacqueline’s own office.

‘One thing I feel I should mention, off the record.’ Her eyes darted towards the door. ‘The trustees are very committed to the holistic nature of the therapy provision here. If you went for the Centre Director role, you’d have to persuade them you’d be fighting for the whole centre.’

Tara sat up straighter in her chair. ‘How do you mean?’

‘I think it’s fair to say that you rather lean towards one branch of the Centre’s practitioners over the other.’

‘No, I don’t!’

‘Oh, Tara. Hand on heart, you don’t really believe that Hero and Anji and our more … esoteric colleagues are quite on the same plane as the traditional counsellors.’

That was the thing about Jacqueline: she had a way of making you feel not exactly guilty, but as if you’d let yourself, and the school, down. Tara started backpedalling. ‘Well, obviously my own practice is theory-based, but I’ve always said, as long as the client believes in the benefits of a course of therapy then …’

‘… you’ll overlook the fact that you think it’s a lot of tosh.’

‘What? No! I fully respect their training and commitment to … alternative belief systems.’

Had that sounded convincing? Tara wasn’t sure.