‘We put in a regular order for shopping and get it delivered. I have long ago given up any desire to stand in supermarket queues, so if you give me a list of what you’d like, I’ll order it for you. I normally cook too much for us, so I can let you have something to heat up every now and again.’

‘That’s so kind of you, but not necessary. I don’t mind cooking. I’ll cook for you, if you like?’

I am not entirely sure how I’m going to pay for food from the kind of supermarket that I suspect Thea uses, and I ponder this as we make our way down to the ground floor. She hasn’t responded to my offer to cook, probably assuming I’m as useless at that as I seem to be at everything else in my life. We walk back past the entrance, where my boots still sit in the shoe rack, and along another narrow corridor. I don’t think I have ever seen so many doors in a house, and every one of them is closed.

‘This door on the left leads to our kitchen. The doctor’s study is accessed via a separate corridor leading from there, and it has its own outside entrance. I don’t think there will be any need for you to go into the kitchen, but if there is I’d be grateful if you resisted the temptation to explore further.’

I am beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable about all these instructions. I would never dream of poking my nose in where it isn’t wanted, but maybe they have had guests before who didn’t know how they should behave.

All other thoughts are driven from my mind as we walk into a huge reception hall, obviously accessed from the main entrance. I can see the solid-wood front door to my right, and the space is flooded with light, in stark contrast to the hallways. To the left is a semicircular bay window looking out over a lovely rose garden. There’s nothing in bloom at this time of year, and the bushes are no more than bare, spiky branches, but I can only imagine how it will look in late May or early June.

‘It’s beautiful, isn’t it?’ Thea says, her voice soft. She sounds almost sad, and I turn towards her. ‘It’s new. We only planted it a few months ago, and I can’t wait to see it in full bloom in the summer. It has special significance to us. It looks so forlorn at this time of year, though.’