‘I admit I don’t really know what to think,’ Tubb went on. ‘I’ve barely got my head around my new state of health and now I’m hit with the knowledge that someone I liked and trusted has been keeping something crucially important from me.’

He gave a dry cough. ‘Garrick feels he wants to talk to you, though. Can he ring you?’

‘Of course,’ she murmured through numb lips. This lukewarm conversation wasn’t what she’d hoped for but it was what she’d feared. ‘I might as well know the worst. Do you want me to stop working at The Three Fishes?’ She needed the dosh but she was pretty sure she could find work at another pub somewhere just before Christmas.

Tubb hesitated. ‘No need to rush into anything.’

‘No point leaving The Three Fishes shorthanded either,’ she agreed. ‘I’ll go and start my shift then.’ Although she was continuing to speak in stiff little sentences she was aware of a growing urge to burst into tears because Tubb, who she’d become so fond of over the past couple of years, was being a toughie.

‘Not quite.’ He looked down at the pencil he was twiddling. ‘News has come to me on the breeze that you and Isaac were close during the Switzerland trip.’

For a moment she thought he was taking a personal interest but then he added, ‘You probably know he’s got his ex there at the moment. I’ve just talked to him. I just want to be sure the situation’s not going to cause any problems.’

Was Tubb just worried about his beloved pub and whether the lucrative Christmas business would be affected by staff shenanigans? ‘Don’t worry. It’s over,’ she said, trying to be as cool about it as he was but hearing her voice crack. Then, because she couldn’t maintain a brave face for even five seconds more, she said goodbye and disconnected.

Her eyes felt sore when Lily turned up for work at eleven forty-five. She’d squirted Optrex into them and added eyeliner and mascara so she was pretty sure no one would notice.

Isaac wasn’t downstairs when she arrived, although he was on the rota. Flora rushed in a couple of minutes late, throwing her coat at the hooks. ‘Hello! Did you have a brilliant time? I couldn’t get much out of my dear brother about it but your pics on Facebook looked amazing. All those lights and mountains! Is he upstairs? I’ll just pop up.’

‘Lovely,’ said Lily, pretending to be absorbed in checking mixers as Flora headed for the stairs.

Neither Flora nor Isaac made an immediate appearance but the till was set up so Lily unlocked. The blokey blokes were first through the door. Lily had no idea whether any of them had a job or a partner nor where they’d find time for them either.