Sighing. ‘Put me down for a pound.’

It seems that none of my neighbours in Goldstone Road are high-rollers as I spend the next hour working my way along the road in a very depressing manner. By the time I’ve visited twenty houses, I’ve received fifteen pounds in pledges, four people didn’t come to the door even though I know that they’re in, and one person slammed the door in my face without even offering me a measly pound for my efforts. They won’t get a Christmas card this year.

It’s accurate to say that my soul has been destroyed. I decide to give up for the night and trudge home. I’m slightly alarmed that this makes me breathless and our road is as flat as the proverbial pancake. How am I going to tackle the Andes puffing like this?

By the time I get back home, my confidence has departed and Lauren has arrived.

My sister’s sitting at the kitchen table with my darling daughter, and a bottle of wine is open. I kiss her when I come in and Ellen slopes off – presumably before I try to tell her how to run her life again.

Lauren pours me a glass of wine. ‘You look knackered.’

I flop into the chair next to her with a heartfelt huff. ‘Fifteen quid,’ I say. ‘It’s taken me a whole hour to raise a measly fifteen quid. Times are clearly hard in Goldstone Road. I’m never going to get my money at this rate.’

‘Early days,’ Lauren reassures me. ‘I’ll get you some cash from Jude. In fact, the way he’s just treated me, I’ll ask him for double.’

‘Is he being difficult?’

‘He’s being married,’ she sighs.

‘Oh, Lauren.’

‘Never mind that now.’ She waves away my concern. ‘Chelsea will be ridiculously generous to make up for the fact that she’s incredibly wealthy and we’re povs. And I’ll give you a hundred quid even though I’m skint.’

‘Thanks.’ Tears come to my eyes.

‘No crying,’ Lauren admonishes. ‘What’s that for?’

‘I don’t know if I’m up to this. Now that I’ve said I’ll go, I’m really frightened.’

‘You’ll raise your money. You’ll go. You’ll be fine.’

‘Greg’s not happy.’

‘Hard lines,’ is Lauren’s verdict. ‘He shouldn’t be such a boring old fart.’

Greg is standing at the door.

‘Sorry, Brother-in-law,’ Lauren says with an embarrassed giggle. She gets up to hug him.

Greg glowers at me over her shoulder.

‘You should go with her.’ Lauren digs my husband in the ribs. ‘Have a laugh, a bit of excitement in your twilight years. What harm would it do?’

My husband has no answer to that. But the hurt in his eyes makes me want to curl up and die.

Chapter 33

Chapter 33