‘No! I’m not going into your house, Ben Jonson, and I wouldn’t if yours was the last house I could find sanctuary and a band of thugs were after me. Now I’m going to get a taxi.’ Then she remembered she’d just spent almost all her money on the taxi they’d recently got out of and would be lucky if she had enough left for a bus.

Ben took hold of her shoulder again. It still felt bruised from last time.

‘Let me go, you ape!’

‘Not until you tell me why you won’t go into my house. Rory and Toby are there. You’ll be quite safe from my lust.’

This unfortunate choice of word reminded Thea of when they’d been together varnishing the floor. She blushed hotly at the memory. ‘I doubt if you know the meaning of the word,’ she muttered, remembering her bitter humiliation.

His mouth hardened and his grip tightened. ‘Then what is it?’

She put her chin up and her shoulders back, losing his hand as she did so. ‘You should be able to work it out for yourself, but as you’re obviously incredibly dense I’ll spell it out for you. You let me go to all the trouble and expense, worry and hard work, of setting up an art gallery, when you knew bloody well your wife was going to make Rory an offer he couldn’t refuse and I’d be left with a gallery but no star artist… and no chance of making any money.’

‘What?’ He frowned in puzzlement.

‘Oh, come on, don’t tell me you’re deaf as well as stupid!’

Ben was obviously still angry too, but was better at hiding it than Thea. ‘I’m not deaf and I’m not stupid, and because I’m not stupid we’re going to carry on this conversation in the house.’

‘No. I said I refuse – ’

He didn’t argue. He just picked her up in a fireman’s lift, carried her back down the road and up the steps to the house. Thea found she couldn’t kick him, though it wasn’t for want of trying. Battering his back with her fists hurt her more than it seemed to hurt him. He pulled her down so she was on her feet when the nanny opened the door. ‘Thank you,’ he said to her. ‘Now, you.’ He turned to Thea. ‘Upstairs and into the bath.’

Thea was torn. She’d been wet and cold too long not to yearn for the comfort of hot water. On the other hand she was damned if she’d take orders from Ben, even if it was more for her good than for his.