Florence turned and strode back through the double doors. Jane could hear the receding footsteps on the marble flooring. She had a good chance to look around the room with its numerous paintings, carved marble mantelpiece and a variety of silver-framed photographs. She was just about to get up to have a closer look at the photographs when she saw the young girl at the open door. This had to be Clara, as she not only looked like her mother, but also her grandmother. Her eyes were strangely expressionless, and she had long, rather lank blonde hair with unusually pallid skin. The girl was wearing a worn blue quilted dressing gown over pajamas, with bunny slippers.

Jane smiled. ‘Hello, you must be Clara.’

‘What do you want?’ the girl asked, not moving from the doorway.

‘I’ve come to talk to your mummy.’

‘She’s upstairs in bed.’

‘Yes, I’ve been told. I’m waiting to see her.’

‘I was taken out of school. Do you know why?’

Jane nodded. ‘Yes, I do.’

‘Nobody gives a shit about him anyway.’

Jane was shocked at the venom in the girl’s voice, but before she could react, Florence Harris appeared with a small silver tray.

‘Clara, go to your room now.’

‘Yes, Grandma, no, Grandma, three-fucking-bags-full, Grandma.’

‘That’s enough, Clara! Now go up to your room immediately!’

The child turned slowly and walked casually away as Mrs. Harris pushed the door closed with her hip.

‘I’m sorry, the poor child has taken this all very badly. But I’m going to take her away for a special girls’ shopping trip to Paris.’

Florence passed the tray to Jane then fetched a small side table and placed it beside her.

‘Thank you very much,’ Jane said, as Mrs. Harris moved halfway across the room to sit in a very large velvet-covered chair.

‘Justine’s having a shower and will be right down. I don’t want to speak out of turn, but my daughter is very fragile. You must be aware that after she found out what happened to Charles, she took an overdose. And you probably know it is not the first time my daughter has attempted suicide.’

Jane nodded. ‘Yes, and obviously we are very concerned. It must be a relief that she is now here with you and her daughter.’

‘Well, it is a great relief, with her psychiatric history. And her psychiatrist felt it would be beneficial for Justine to come home into my care. I think discovering what happened to Charles must have been very traumatic, but my daughter also has a very determined streak. She probably won’t stay here very long, but I have Clara for most of her school holidays and will be taking care of her throughout this ordeal. My husband always was against Justine getting married; she was very young and very foolish and didn’t pay any attention to his warnings.’