Simon Collinge laughed at this, which was the only thing to do, even though the words had been laced with sarcasm, and Katie joined in, enjoying his infectious chuckle. Mr Graham didn’t laugh, instead looking even more fed up, as if the arrival of Collinge junior was the cross he had to bear. He waved his hand towards the other typist.

‘And this is Mrs Crosby.’

The blonde woman nodded, turning her lips up insincerely.

What the hell’s eating her? Katie thought, as she slid onto the chair behind her desk. She doesn’t need to look so flaming mardy with me when she’s never even met me before.

But Katie couldn’t help noticing that Mrs Crosby must have been at least ten years older than her, and looked as if she didn’t like coming up here to find that she was on a par with someone so young.

Oh dear, Katie thought, picking up her shorthand notebook amid all the bad humour of the room. This is going to be jolly. All she could do was keep her head down and get on with her work.

‘You could cut the air with a knife in our office,’ Katie said to Ann when they met up for a coffee that weekend. ‘There’s Lena Crosby looking daggers across at me all day, because I have the cheek to have a job in the department office when I’m younger than her. And then there’s old grumpy Graham and that Mr Collinge – I mean, they’re like a pair of those . . . What d’you call them?’ She made a gesture, fingers poking up from her head.

‘Reindeer?’ Ann suggested, and they both laughed.

‘Something like that, yes! Both trying to make out they’ve got the biggest whatsits – antlers. It’s been the same all week – especially Mr Graham. If you even mention that Mr Collinge has been to the university, he starts to swell up . . . And I get home and Mom’s not well and she’s feeling sorry for herself. I can tell you, it’s good to get out!’

‘It sounds it,’ Ann laughed.

But Katie’s joking complaints were the nearest she ever got to telling the truth about things – especially about her mother. She had been so conditioned never to say anything about her home life that she would have felt disloyal even hinting at how things really were.

‘What you need,’ Ann said, ‘is a good walk round the shops.’

Katie groaned. ‘What, with a handful of coupons? And that’s if there was anything decent to buy. I’m saving my coupons for a proper pair of shoes. I keep getting to work with my feet all wet!’

‘I know,’ Ann said gloomily, her hands curled round her cup of coffee to warm them. ‘Still, at least you can make things for yourself. You always look nice, no matter what, Katie.’

‘Thanks,’ Katie said. She did take pride in her appearance and there was nothing she liked more than a new outfit, given the chance. ‘But I’ve had most of these clothes for years. It’s not as if we’ve got any spare curtains to cut up!’