She doesn’t speak, giving me time to calm down. I always thought the anger I had felt when I rowed with my father and Annabel over Pops’ early inheritance would be impossible to beat, but that was tame in comparison to my feelings during the confrontation with Ian. Anger has always reduced me to tears in the past, but not today. I don’t for a single moment feel like crying. I am beyond frustration; I am a boiling cauldron of rage.

I don’t realise we are home until Thea speaks. ‘Is your hand okay? Do you want me to look at it for you?’

‘No, thanks. It’ll be fine. I think it’s stopped bleeding now.’

‘You should go straight up and have a lie-down,’ she says, her voice low and even as she pulls the car to a halt outside the door. ‘You’ll find some plasters and ointment in your kitchen. I’m going to make you one of my infusions to relax you. I’ll be up in a few minutes.’

I kick my boots off at the door, and Thea bends to pick them up and put them on the shoe rack. I am still totally wired, and I charge up the stairs to my room, thrusting the door open with such force that it crashes into the wall. Flinging myself on the bed, I lie with my hands behind my head and gaze at the ceiling. Ian is a bastard. How could I have ever thought I loved someone as mean and lazy as him?

I can’t settle and jump back off the bed and stride to the window. It is dark outside now, and all I can make out is the black shape of the trees that border the vast garden. Suddenly, they make me feel hemmed in. I want to get out of here. I want to sort my life out once and for all.

The bag that I brought with me is sitting on the floor where I threw it, and I pick it up and up-end the contents onto the bed. I stare at the flimsy lace knickers and bras, the low-cut tops and the short-sleeved T-shirts – ridiculous clothes, not at all practical. At least I thought to push in a couple of jumpers and some clean jeans. I bundle everything into drawers and then I don’t know what to do. I can’t lie down, or even sit down. I’m so tightly wound I think I’m going to snap.

There’s a tap at the open door, and I swivel towards it.

‘Sit down for a moment, dear,’ Thea says calmly. ‘Drink this. I find it does the trick when I’m a bit worked up.’