Gone were the sari, the bare feet and soft, understated make-up. Her suit was emerald green, cut in straight, sophisticated lines, the shoulders padded, the effect angular as a box, and she wore high, pointed court shoes in a matching shade. Instead of the loose plait, her hair was caught up into a perfect pleat, face immaculately made up, her lips a glistening plum red.

‘Anna.’ She offered a smile, but it seemed brittle and forced. Anna felt her breathing turn more shallow. Thank God she’d already decided to be more wary of this woman. ‘We must spend some more time together, alone.’ Olivia’s heels clicked across the kitchen tiles. She leaned to touch Anna’s cheek with her own and again there came a waft of perfume, this time something costly. ‘I so wanted you to meet everyone last night – Krishna especially, of course. What did you think of him?’

Honesty lurked in Anna’s mind: I thought he was pretty obnoxious. ‘He’s lovely,’ she said. ‘A credit to you.’

‘He’s my life,’ Olivia breathed. Sean rattled cutlery loudly behind them and Anna stood feeling very uneasy. They were stepping too near the well of emotion. Everything was at odds this morning and she just wanted to get away from this place, back to Kate’s house, and sink into a warm bath.

‘I’m teaching today,’ Olivia said. Her voice was clipped and precise, no trace of the rise-and-fall accent she had put on the night before. ‘I like to dress up for the piano. It makes me feel professional. I really wanted to be a musician, you see. My father wouldn’t hear of it until it was really too late.’

‘Yes – my mother told me.’

‘Did she?’ There was a coldness in Olivia’s eyes which brought Anna’s flesh up in goosepimples. ‘Come for tea,’ she said abruptly. ‘I’ve no pupils after four o’clock. We must talk. I presume you came to talk?’

The words were flung out like a challenge. Anna felt angry, suddenly, as if she was being played with, and at Olivia’s assumption that she had nothing else to do but be called upon at her command.

‘Yes, I came to talk,’ she said stiffly. ‘I presume that’s what you wanted. You did write to her after all.’

The bell sounded in the hall. Sean left the sink immediately to answer, and to Anna’s relief they heard Jake’s voice down the hall.

‘Morning.’ He smiled across at her from the doorway, so tall his head nearly reached the frame, hands in his pockets. ‘Come to pick up the van. Thanks for last night, Olivia. It was a great meal.’

‘Krishna’s still in bed,’ Olivia snapped. Anna watched her anxiously. There were stings in everything Olivia said this morning.

But Jake appeared not to notice. ‘As I say, I’ve only come for the van. Got to get back to open up. I was wondering – ’ He looked at Anna. ‘Since I’m going back, d’you want a lift over, to see the place?’