When James came to find her, Stella did not mention the figure. Perhaps she thought he would think it one of her old hallucinations and would return to the subject of hospital and the need for proper treatment. Perhaps Stella hoped to save the fact of the woman until she really needed it, until she was in a situation when she needed them all to take notice of her, like money saved for a rainy day.

“What are you still doing here?” he asked gently when he came into the room. “The others are wondering where you are.”

She got up quickly and moved away from the window.

“It was all that fighting,” she said. “ It upset me. You know I shouldn’t be upset.”

“Yes,” he said. “ I know.” He put his arm around her and led her out of the room and held her tight as they walked down the stairs. But as they approached the living room, it was clear that Alice was involved in an argument again.

“I must talk to him,” she was saying. “I won’t sleep until I’ve talked to him.” She was wearing a parka with a furlined hood, one of the sort that boys of eight or nine wear, and was pulling a pair of Wellingtons over the purple flares.

“But it’s late,” Judy said. “ Why don’t you wait until morning? Or phone him, if you want to talk to him now.”

“It’s all so simple,” Alice said. “It came to me when I was talking to Max. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. It’s obvious I’ll have to buy back the land.”

“What are you doing, Aunt Alice?” James asked. He stood just inside the room, his arm still around Stella’s shoulders, blocking the door.

“She’s going to see Henshaw,” Judy said helplessly, “ to persuade him to sell her the land.”

“That’s ridiculous,” James said. “ He’s spent thousands drawing up the plans. He’ll not sell it back to you now.”

Alice sat on the carpet, so she could pull more effectively on the Wellingtons. She looked up at James.

“That depends,” she said, “what I offer to pay for it.”

“At least let me come with you,” James said. “I don’t like the idea of your being out there on your own.”

“I don’t need a bodyguard,” she said. “ Not yet.” She stood up and waited for James to move away from the door. “Don’t stay up for me. This may take some time.”

She went out into the garden, slamming the front door behind her.