This was greeted by an entirely predictable, ‘Huh. Shannon could have done a lot better for herself on her own. If she’d gone to university, she could have become a lawyer or something like that. Moved in professional circles, ended up marrying someone who was more on her sort of … intellectual level. They make a lot of money, top lawyers, you know. Much more than garage owners.’

‘Well, from what I’ve seen of them together,’ said Jude, palliative in more ways than one, ‘Shannon and Billy seem to have a very happy marriage.’

‘Appearances can be deceptive,’ said Rhona darkly.

It struck Jude for the first time that maybe the old woman’s antipathy for her son-in-law arose from a dislike of men. All men. Jude had never heard any mention made of Shannon’s father. Had he abandoned Rhona with a young baby, leaving her to bring Shannon up on her own? And had that betrayal sparked in Rhona a distrust of the entire gender? It was a mildly interesting speculation but, Jude reminded herself, not really her business. Her sole function at that moment was to alleviate the discomforts of a dying woman.

And Rhona’s sole function at that moment – as at many other moments – seemed to be to continue criticizing her son-in-law. ‘Anyway, I’m not sure Billy’s future’s that secure at the moment.’

‘Oh?’

‘He’s worked for his dad all these years and everyone reckoned that, when Bill finally retired, the son’d take over. After Valerie died, Bill made a will leaving the business to Billy. But is that still going to happen now his dad’s taken up with this Chink?’

Jude, careful not to show any reaction, winced inwardly. Rhona’s generation were not great exponents of political correctness. All she said, mildly reproving, was, ‘Malee’s from Thailand.’

‘Thailand, China, they’re all the same. Can’t trust Asians. Gold-diggers, money-grubbers, the lot of them.’

‘I don’t think you’re being fair, Rhona. You can’t condemn a whole nation like that.’

‘Why not? I speak as I find. And I know that this Molly, or whatever she’s called, is only after Bill Shefford’s money.’

‘You can’t be sure of that.’

‘Oh no? So, tell me … what else is going to make a balding, overweight seventy-year-old man attractive to a girl in her twenties?’

‘I think Malee is actually older than—’