‘I do wish you’d stop fussing. I am going to make a great success of this gallery. People will flock to it. They will buy paintings and they will pay a fortune to show their work in it. And if I think Rory’s going to back out, I will go to Kilburn or wherever it is he’s gone to in London and sort him out.’

‘How will you do that?’

‘On a train, I expect. Although I could take the coach.’

He humphed. ‘I didn’t mean that and you know it.’

Thea tried to look insouciant. ‘I have my ways. Now, I must go to the loo. Lager always goes straight through me.’

Aware that this was a little more information than he wanted to hear, she hobbled past him. Alone, she felt despondency creep in. Ben had only been saying things and asking questions that she’d asked herself. She’d thought of answers, so why was she letting anxiety rain on her parade? She decided it was because the loo was dingy and chilly. Once she was back in the gallery again she’d feel fine.

‘What I need, of course,’ she said a little later, getting into a corner with her varnish brush, ‘is a rich husband.’ The moment the words had left her mouth she regretted them. He would take them the wrong way whatever she said. ‘I mean like Derek. He supports Molly in all sorts of mad projects.’ She sat back and wiped her brow, adding to the layers of grime. That should make it all right, stop him minking she was talking about him. ‘I might advertise. Anyone would do, as long as they were rich and indulgent.’

‘It could be very dull, being shackled to a man just because he was rich.’

‘Then I’d take a lover, for entertainment.’

‘Like Rory, for example?’

‘Oh, yes. Perfect.’ She paused for a few moments, wondering how she’d managed to talk herself into this situation. ‘It’s funny about fish and chips, about twenty minutes after I’ve eaten them, I always want them surgically removed. You wouldn’t have a Rennie – or some sort of mint – about your person, would you?’

Later, they drank tea. Thea was beginning to get drowsy and wanted to lie on her sleeping bag and doze, but what would she do about Ben? ‘Are you sure you don’t want to go home?’

‘I was going to be staying with Molly and it’s too late to disturb her now. Why, do you want to get rid of me?’

‘No, I just wanted to rest for a bit. We can’t put on another coat for a couple of hours.’

‘I’m tired myself.’

Thea exhaled in exasperation. ‘OK, let’s share the sleeping bag. It’s in the little bedroom downstairs, but we’ll have to tiptoe or we’ll wake the puppies.’