‘Lunch!’ She patted his hands kindly. ‘Or would you rather to go to bed for a bit?’

They could hear the dogs barking and growling outside the door, Pax calling them back.

‘Only reason to go to bed in daytime, is if you have company, so it is.’ New Luca might have sadder eyes than before, but the flirty patter was still there, a classic male on the rebound. He was looking at her, but Ronnie sensed he was seeing her through a lens blurred by self-absorption.

‘Or flu,’ she said briskly.

There was a sharp bark as Stubbs bustled in censoriously, followed by Pax carrying the wide-eyed deerhound puppy, her pale face determined, tears dried. ‘Ah, good, the phone’s free. Your heelers are cougars, Mummy.’

Stepping back, Ronnie brushed Luca’s hands off her shoulders, but not before she caught Pax’s sideways glance.

‘They won’t leave Knott alone,’ Pax complained as Ronnie’s younger black-and-tan bitch rushed inside, the old one lumbering in her wake. Both barked shrilly up at the wriggling puppy, tails gyrating.

‘Maternal urges,’ Ronnie sympathised, aware that her dogs weren’t the only ones plagued by them. ‘I’ll put them in a stable, then we’ll all have lunch.’ She edged towards the half-empty plum gin bottle.

‘There no food whatsoever in the house,’ Pax pointed out, glancing at the phone, desperate for them to be gone. ‘I’m going home to fetch some clothes soon. I’ll bring back eggs and cheese, and I think there’s half a gammon left.’

‘I’m vegan.’ Luca brought out the big guns’ smile. ‘Sorry, I know it’s a pain in the arse.’

‘That’ll be all the fibre,’ muttered Pax.

‘How fantastically disciplined,’ Ronnie said quickly. So much for fond memories of him in nothing but swimmers and an apron barbecuing rows of fat bratwurst by the Fuchs’ pool while she, Henk and a bunch of grooms smoked dope in the sun. She tried to remember what vegans ate apart from lentil dahl and chickpeas. ‘When I take Lester his things, I’ll try to find a supermarket that opens on New Year’s Day and we’ll all have a big high tea later.’ Picking up the plum gin, she slipped it nonchalantly under her arm, hoping the others wouldn’t notice. ‘I’ll show you to the attic flat, Luca.’

‘Do you want some ice with that, Mummy?’ Pax asked lightly, setting Knott down in his bed, shooing the heelers away. Stubbs was glaring at them all from under the table, horrified by the invasion. ‘Watch your toes in the attic bathroom, Luca.’ Pax straightened up and marched to the door to hold it open for them. ‘I laid mousetraps.’ She smiled.

‘There are mice?’

‘No, I just get pleasure from other people’s pain.’ She was standing outside, holding her arm out like a hotel doorman seeing off guests.

‘You’ll want to unpack, I’m sure.’ Ronnie hurried ahead of Luca, eager to park him, worried about leaving Pax too long in her brittle state. When she quick-fired sarcasm, it was a sure sign she was counting down to a big anger bang.