‘Krishna?’ she said to him in a low voice. ‘You do love me?’

‘Yes, mamaji,’ he replied.

Anna watched him lean over obediently to kiss her. His manner was exhausted and wooden. She felt very sad watching the two of them together.

‘Sleep now,’ Krish said wearily, as he went to the door. ‘You’ll feel better then.’

Distantly Anna heard the doorbell. ‘That’ll be your doctor.’

Olivia reached up suddenly and seized Anna’s hand, gripping it very tightly. She raised her head off the pillow. ‘The baby,’ she said in a rush. ‘My baby – I wanted to hurt Kate. I don’t know why. She was always an angel to me. But I do that . . . I’ve destroyed everything I’ve ever loved. The baby could have been anyone’s. I never knew . . .’

They heard feet on the stairs, and a man’s voice. Olivia fell back on to the pillow. Hoarsely, she said, ‘Angus was completely hers. Not that I didn’t try. But he would never have touched me.’

Anna smiled down at her, stroked her hand. ‘Thank you,’ she said.

‘She’ll sleep now,’ the doctor told them, downstairs. ‘Got herself into a bit of a state, did she?’ He eyed the burnt curtains, evidently preferring not to ask.

‘She didn’t do that,’ Anna said quickly.

‘I know she’s a bit excitable. Give me a ring if there are any more problems.’

‘Where’s Krish?’ Anna asked when the doctor had gone.

Jake looked startled. ‘Isn’t he up with her?’

‘He came down before I did.’

They searched the house. His room was strewn with books and papers, but he had gone.

‘I expect he just wanted to get away from us all,’ Anna said.

Jake frowned. ‘Let’s look at the top.’

They found Ben in his room with the door open, watching a portable black and white telly, its picture dancing up and down the screen. He jumped as they appeared.

‘You all right?’ Jake asked.

Ben stood up, clicked the set off. ‘I’m leaving,’ he said, standing with his hands pushed into the back pockets of his jeans. ‘I can’t stay here. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was disgusting.’ He looked from one to the other of them, mole-like behind his glasses. ‘I was really happy here. I don’t understand what’s happened. I could talk to her, and she was so lovely . . .’ His voice started to break with emotion.

Anna was caught between pity and impatience. ‘Olivia’s had a very difficult life,’ she told him. ‘Things have just been stirred up for her a lot recently.’ She looked at Jake. ‘It’s my fault, really.’

‘No. It would’ve happened sooner or later.’

Ben watched them, uncomprehending. ‘Where is she?’

‘Asleep,’ Anna said. ‘Krish’s gone off somewhere.’

‘You’re not going, are you? Leaving me alone with her?’ Ben stepped forward in panic.

‘I’m staying,’ Anna said. ‘Jake – have you got to get back to the shop?’

‘It’ll have to stay closed today. I can’t leave you with all this.’