‘No work, is viewing for auction. You like to come, yes?’

‘Well … yes,’ I said, warming to the idea, ‘why not?’ I’d never been to an auction, or a viewing. And I had to admit the prospect of Paul going too was an inducement. ‘Thanks. I’d love to come.’

‘Good. You come, one o’clock. We go. And Juno,’ he added devastatingly, before he put the receiver down, ‘wear dress.’

So next day, after I’d walked the Tribe and delivered them all, I came home, changed out of my doggie-walking clothes, showered, washed my hair, conditioned it within an inch of its life, and put on the only dress I currently owned, a cream silk button-through I’d bought in a vintage charity shop in Totnes. Quite suitable for an antiques auction, I thought. There was a small rust mark on one sleeve but it didn’t show much. I left my hair loose and wore Cordelia’s amber earrings. I stared at myself in the one full-length mirror in the house. I didn’t look bad.

Old Nick didn’t look his usual self either. When he opened the door to me, I took a step back in amazement. Instead of his cardigan and carpet slippers he wore a dark overcoat and highly polished, black shoes. ‘I bet you didn’t clean those with a toothbrush,’ I said.

He laughed, donned an ancient trilby and proffered his arm for me to take.

‘Our carriage awaits,’ he told me, eyes twinkling. Up until that moment I hadn’t given a thought to how we were getting to where we were going, just assumed that we’d be travelling in Paul’s furniture van. But no, Nick informed me, we would be travelling in his own car. ‘Well, you’re full of surprises. I didn’t know you had a car.’

‘I keep in garage, round corner,’ he said, pointing the way.

Of course, I should have expected an antique: a Riley, gleaming black on the outside, cream leather and a walnut dashboard within.

‘It’s beautiful,’ I told him. ‘How old is it?’

‘1953,’ he responded proudly. ‘Much older than you … ah, our driver!’ he added, as Paul appeared. Apparently, he hadn’t been asked to wear a dress. He was in jeans and an old blue sweater. He grinned at me as he took the keys from Nick and swung open the door with a mocking bow. As I slid on to the back seat I caught him running an appreciative eye over my cream silk.