‘I don’t know. They might have done. They took him down to the police station but then came back and said they’d had to let him go. I think they were hoping that they might have frightened him off. They seem to think he was pretty harmless.’

‘But that’s ludicrous,’ Tiger fumed.

‘But we don’t know, do we?’ asked Erica. ‘We’re only making assumptions.’

‘Yes, but they’re based on…’

‘What? What are they based on? That we don’t like the look of him? That it was a bit of a coincidence that two windows were broken within a few days of him asking us if we’d like to join his “Friendly Society”.’

‘It doesn’t sound very friendly to me,’ muttered Tiger. ‘Oh, bugger. Why did it have to happen while I was away?’

Impatience showed through Erica’s voice. ‘I’m sorry. If I’d thought, I could have asked him to delay his return until you’d come back.’

‘That’s not what I meant.’

‘Well, I don’t like you being away any more than you do. But sometimes things happen and I have to tell you about them, even if you don’t want to hear.’

He felt guilty now. Guilty at having a go at her. Guilty at not being there when she needed him. ‘I’m sorry. I’ll be back soon.’

‘And when are you next away? Do you know?’

‘No. ’Fraid not. This one came out of the blue and I don’t know what I’ve got on next week.’

Erica became aware that she was sounding like a whingeing wife. She tried to make amends. ‘Well, whatever. We’ll just make sure we have some decent time together this weekend.’

‘Yes, please.’

They hung up with one or two bridges mended, but an overall feeling of dissatisfaction. After thirty years, she still did not like him being away.

The kitchen table at the Manor House was laid out with the now customary antipasto–olives and salami, rocket leaves with Parmesan shavings and other Italian delicacies.

‘I’m getting rather used to this,’ said Christopher.

Maria looked troubled. ‘Oh! I’m sorry. Would you rather have something else?’

He grinned. ‘That’s not what I meant at all. I meant it’s very nice.’

She smiled with relief. ‘I’m glad I got it right, then.’

‘Are you sure you won’t join me?’ Christopher asked.

‘I can’t have lunch with you every day. I’m supposed to be cleaning. If mum got to hear about it I’d be in deep trouble.’

‘Even if it was by invitation?’

‘Even then. Mum would tell me to know my place. To “looka after da doctorr”.’

Christopher laughed. ‘That was scarily accurate.’

‘Yes. It is a worry, isn’t it? I might grow into her with age.’