That left Ben. While Thea was sorting out worn blankets and sides-to-middle sheets, he tidied up the sitting room as best he could and made up the fire so it would stay in all night. He accepted his instructions about taking the other bed in Toby’s room meekly. Thea could see now how tired he looked – a long journey, followed by Lara’s puppies, plus a whole lot of baggage Thea could only guess at were etched under and around his eyes. Even his hair looked tired, flopping over his forehead as if it hadn’t the energy to stay back any longer.

Alone in the sitting room, Thea was forced to face what she had known all along – unless she shared with Rory there was no bed left for her. Even the sofa was bereft of cushions. ‘Which leaves the bath,’ she said to Lara, who wasn’t listening. ‘But not without as much bedding as I can scrounge.’

First, she tiptoed into Rory’s room to see what she could scavenge. His bed, huge and comfortable, was very tempting, except that it had Rory in it. Ben, she was sure, sadly, could share a bed with a woman and not lay a finger on her. Rory would pounce the moment Thea’s head hit the pillow. But she did find an old horse blanket under a pile of clothes, draped over a chair. She removed the clothes and took the blanket. Then, very bravely, she stole a pillow from under his snoring head and left the room.

A pair of old velvet curtains in the bottom of the airing cupboard were a good find. They smelt of mothballs and dirt, but were quite thick. Then she discovered a double sheet which was almost new and properly laundered – probably ironed tenderly by Susan. Good old Rory, he’d be glad to lend his sheet to a good cause.

Suddenly exhausted, Thea just pulled out all the remaining bedding, which revealed a leaking paisley eiderdown, and carried it into the bathroom.

The bathroom was not a cheery place. It had fading yellow paint and the bath had an iron stain descending from one of the taps. Thea ached and shook with tiredness, and was shaking out the curtains prior to folding them when she spotted a red light above a switch. An immersion heater; on! Her heart lifted. She would have a bath, and then, while it and she were still hot, she would pile everything in and nestle among it.

Neither Ben nor Toby stirred as she went into their room, damp and wrapped in an inadequate towel, to find her nightie and washbag. She didn’t allow herself to look at them beyond a quick glance, because she’d read somewhere that if you look at a sleeping person it will wake them.