They’d reached the counter in the shop and Lauren browsed the menu. They ordered and Jude pulled out his wallet and paid.

‘Before you put that away, you need to give me some money,’ she said. ‘My sister’s doing the Inca Trail for charity and you’re going to sponsor her.’

Jude peeled off a twenty.

‘More.’

He gave her another.

‘Several more.’

Her lover handed over all he had in his wallet.

‘A hundred pounds – that’s it? She needs two grand.’

‘You’ve cleaned me out.’

Lauren tutted. He might be sorry, but clearly he wasn’t that sorry.

The woman behind the counter handed her a brown bag with her sandwich in it.

She always had the same thing in here. Every day. Prawn mayonnaise on brown with salad. It was a habit. Yet there was a whole array of unusual and varied fillings to be had. It was a habit that she should break.

Maybe one day she’d surprise herself and have a complete change.

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

I arrive ten minutes early at the big Borders bookstore in the city where I’m meeting my sisters, so I head straight to the travel section and South America in particular.

My mouth waters as I read about the exotic dishes I can hope to sample while I’m out there. Ceviche, chunks of fish marinated with lime juice, more than 1,000 different varieties of potato (good job we’re doing a lot of walking to counteract that) roasted cuy or guinea pig – think I might give that one a miss – chillies, avocados and 100 different types of corn on the cob.

I’m on a sofa with a stash of books open by my side when, a few minutes later, Lauren swings in between the shelves. ‘I knew I’d find you here,’ she says.

‘Just browsing.’ I close the books and return them to their rightful place. We head up to the coffee shop and order. Then, having made myself hungry and with my tastebuds crying out to be tantalised, I get a blueberry muffin to go with my coffee. Admittedly, it’s not that exotic, but it’s the best that Starbucks can offer.

‘Chelsea’s coming along too,’ I tell Lauren when we sit down.

‘Noooo,’ she complains. ‘She’ll arrive looking all beautiful and elegant and make me feel like a right old skank. Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘She’s our sister. Be nice.’

Lauren looks down at her jeans. ‘I’d have dressed up if I’d known.’

‘Chelsea’s not like that.’

‘She is.’

‘How was the weekend?’ I ask as a distraction technique.

‘Crap,’ Lauren says. ‘Well, sort of. Jude didn’t turn up.’

‘Oh, Lauren. Again?’