But Clover wasn’t listening. A little of her gung-ho ebullience was leaving her as she realized how dizzy she felt. She put her hand on the wall to steady herself as she got to the top step. Carlotta was walking through to the kitchen with a vase of flowers that needed refreshing and she almost dropped it at the sight of Clover, battered and bruised, suddenly standing there. ‘Sorry, Carlotta,’ she said quietly. ‘Didn’t mean to startle you.’

Matty had been bringing all her meals down to her, so the extent of her injuries had been hypothetical to the housekeeper till this point. To Kit, too. He still hadn’t seen her. Not once, in all the time she’d been lying in bed, had he had the decency to look in and just ask if she was okay. Everyone else had bothered; Ari, Beau, even Julian had dropped in . . . It was basic civility, but even that was clearly too much to ask. Kit Foley was fine and he didn’t give a damn that she wasn’t. He was probably even pleased. He probably thought she deserved it.

Carlotta gathered herself admirably. ‘Ms Phillips, I thought the doctor said you were supposed to be resting still?’

‘He did, but as I’ve just explained to Mats, I’ll go insane if I spend another minute in bed. I thought I might sit on the sofa and enjoy the view for a bit instead? I can rest there.’

Carlotta looked, open-mouthed, back towards the other end of the room. ‘Of course. Let me light the fire for you. It is ready to light.’ Still holding the vase, she hurried back from whence she’d come, putting down the flowers and kneeling in front of the fireplace with the matches.

Clover followed her slowly, her hands held out, down low, not wanting to bump into any side tables or—

‘Oh, hey!’ she said, noticing Beau and Ari sitting at the table, eating lunch. Beau’s mouth dropped open now he saw her without the eyepatch.

‘Fuck.’ The word escaped him in a slow exhale.

‘Don’t worry, don’t worry,’ she said quickly. ‘All fine,’ she lied. The headaches for the past few days had been blinding.

No Kit, she noticed.

‘Clover, you don’t look like you should be up.’ Ari looked concerned, rising from his chair.

She stopped him from protesting further with an outstretched arm and a smile. ‘It was just one hit.’

‘Yeah. That would’ve floored me.’

Matty chivvied her over to the nearside sofa, where Carlotta was arranging some of the cushions for her. ‘I’m really fine,’ she protested as Matty pushed down on her shoulder, forcing her to sit.

‘I’ve seen octogenarians climb stairs quicker.’