‘Sorry,’ she muttered, giving Daintree a hug. ‘But it’s like there’s a conspiracy to take away anything I earn.’ Albin considered it OK to hold back what he owed her for stock indefinitely and Christopher sodding Carlysle had so obviously expected her to roll over and accept a loss that it made her want to yowl like an angry cat. Trembling, she ran to the car and drove numbly along Fen Drove, as cold as if she’d stood naked in the courtyard for the entirety of the storm.

Knowing she’d burst into tears if she went straight in to Nan she parked at The Cross and stomped round the corner into The Angel to order a large cappuccino and a chocolate brownie. Carola, blonde hair tucked under a fetching cap, gave her an old-fashioned look from behind the counter. ‘Thought you’d be at Posh Nosh,’ she said pointedly. ‘My info is you’re running things up at Carlysle Courtyard.’

‘Your info’s out of date!’ Hannah gritted out as she paid for her order. She waited in silence for the coffee machine to spit and hiss and Carola to add sprinkles to the froth and press a holly leaf shape into it.

‘Not having a good day?’ Carola asked more mildly as she slid cappuccino and brownie onto a tray.

Unable to speak for tears, Hannah shook her head and grabbed the tray, choosing a table in the furthest corner of the room. She’d drunk half the cappuccino when Cassie phoned, voice trembling.

‘That was handled quite dreadfully,’ Cassie said. ‘I can only apologise. You must think Christopher’s an utter pig.’

Hannah swallowed. ‘What I think is best left unsaid.’ But she kept her voice calm, understanding that Cassie was caught in the middle.

‘I hadn’t realised Christopher would go at things like a bull in a china shop,’ Cassie went on. ‘I do apologise. It was nothing personal. Honestly!’ she added, when Hannah made an indignant noise. ‘He was just jubilant that Simeon had finally faced his responsibilities and wanted to clear away all obstacles to returning him to Carlysle Courtyard.’

Hannah managed not to snort that Christopher hadn’t so much cleared away obstacles as galloped roughshod over everyone else’s rights and feelings. Making this call couldn’t have been easy and if Hannah were to have any chance of that second payment it would be through Cassie. She eased her throat with a swig of cappuccino. ‘So where do we go from here?’

Cassie sounded grateful for the opening. ‘I’d like to take you up on your offer. I’ll pay the second one thousand pounds into your account and you do a proper handover to Simeon.’ Then, in a small voice, ‘Please.’