Megan had too much pride to burn the steaks, or produce anything except a perfect salad, but she couldn’t help fantasising about making a dressing of arsenic or ground glass for Cynthia as she shredded the lettuce and tried to listen to what the other two were discussing. And she kept wondering how they would keep up even this superficial politeness for several days.

Well, Ben might manage it, but she’d find it extremely difficult.

No, impossible.

During the next two days, Megan felt her rapport with her husband slipping and couldn’t work out how to remedy that. Their guest, she decided grimly, could out-act her any day – and did so regularly.

Cynthia, having decided to ‘go country’, as she phrased it, made no complaints about short walks in the bush, or bird-watching by the water, though she did seek alcoholic refreshment at regular intervals. She phoned the hospital to check on Nick’s progress the next afternoon and spoke to him briefly.

On the second day, she discovered that the battery of her mobile was flat and she’d forgotten her charger. Thereafter, she insisted on Ben driving her along to the nearest phone morning and afternoon, to check that ‘poor dear Nick’ was all right.

‘Why don’t you drive yourself?’ Megan asked bluntly.

‘I’m worried the news might be bad. And then I’d be too upset to drive. Besides, I enjoy the company.’ She smiled smugly.

If Cynthia really thought that there was a chance of Nick getting worse, Megan fumed as she waited for them to return, then she should have stayed up in Perth near him.

Going to bed was no relief, either, because Megan was so tense she couldn’t enjoy making love. The mere thought of Cynthia overhearing them gave her the shudders and took all the pleasure out of it.

‘Can’t you relax a little,’ he murmured in her ear the first night.

‘Not with her in the house! She might hear us.’ The bed next door creaked and she added, ‘In fact, she’d definitely hear us.’

‘For goodness’ sake, she’s not a monster, just a rather foolish woman who needs company. I’ll switch the radio on when we make love.’

‘You will not! She’ll know exactly why we’ve done that.’

‘Who cares?’

‘I do!’

He sighed and turned over. ‘Then we’ll leave it for tonight. I’m not into necrophilia.’

Which didn’t make Megan feel any better. ‘What is that woman, a child who needs baby-sitting?’

‘In some ways, yes.’

She turned her back to him. ‘Well, I’ve no desire to be her baby-sitter, thank you very much!’

‘I’m under considerable obligation to Nick.’

‘Well, you baby-sit her, then! Take her out somewhere tomorrow and give me a bit of peace!’

‘I’d rather you came with us.’