‘Not if I value my life. Veronica would kill me if I changed my mind now, after she’d gone to so much trouble to introduce me to Edward and set up the show.’

‘Oh! So you’re not worried about me killing you? For pretty much the same thing? Only in my case it wouldn’t be so much murder as justifiable homicide! I put my own money, Molly’s money and the sweat of my brow into my gallery! Weeks of hard labour! Not to mention looking after your dog and your puppies so you could come to London and leave me stranded!’

‘No,’ he said baldly, unimpressed. ‘Because you’re not that sort of person. You wouldn’t sabotage a vicar’s tea party out of spite, let alone someone’s career. Even if that someone happens to be me. Veronica wouldn’t think twice about it.’

‘I could learn to be that sort of person,’ she muttered, wishing it were true.

Rory put out his hand and cupped her cheek in it. It was warm and comforting and trustworthy, quite unlike its owner. ‘No you couldn’t. And that’s why I love you.’

She looked at him, startled.

‘I mean the word in its widest sense,’ he added. ‘I’m afraid I’ve come round to thinking that you and me are a beautiful relationship that was destined not to happen. But don’t worry, I’m not completely brokenhearted.’

Thea suddenly felt tears spring to her eyes. She bit her lip. She was tired and had gone through a lot in the past twenty-four hours. Despair, which she had kept at bay with every trick she knew, suddenly seemed very near. She took a large sip of whiskey. ‘Oh, God,’ she murmured so quietly he couldn’t hear her. ‘I wish I could say the same.’

It was dispiriting to have to take the train back to Cheltenham to tell Molly that her mission had failed. Rory had not promised to change his mind and come back to Thea’s gallery. He hadn’t even promised to think about it. He had refused. The only good news was that Edward Grampian was seriously talking about giving Thea a job that she could do and still run her gallery. It would be hard work, but she would scout around the country for work which wouldn’t usually come his way. He might even offer exhibitions to artists who’d previously exhibited with her.

This, she hoped, would be enough to stop Molly getting too downcast. But it wouldn’t stop her railing against Rory and his perfidy. Thea could have done quite a bit of railing herself, but there was no point. She just had to move on and look forward to the graduate show.