‘The thing is, she’s asked to see bank statements so she knows where we’re up to.’ Sara stopped what she was doing, but couldn’t turn to look at him, dreading to think where the conversation was heading. ‘I noticed in one of the deposit accounts – the one we haven’t used since the new kitchen was done – there’s a transfer – nine thousand pounds…’

She could imagine the accusation in his eyes, felt his stare searing the back of her neck. She straightened up, sweating profusely now, her shirt sticking to her back.

Silence.

Her heart beat even faster, so fast it felt like her chest would explode. She could hardly breathe. He was waiting for her to say something, give an explanation.

He knows.

Slowly, she turned, aware that she was cornered. There was no escape. ‘Don’t tell anyone, please, James. I just needed a loan. I was desperate and…’ This was what she’d been dreading, and her body reacted like a deflating balloon, making her fold in on herself, shoulders hunched, her head hung low. She covered her face with her hands, ashamed and embarrassed and devoid of hope, wanting to crawl into the cupboard and curl up in a ball. An unexpected sob burst from her mouth and tears sprang from nowhere.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, slowly guiding her backwards, round the desk until she was gently pushed into a chair. He sat on the desk in front of her, and when he spoke, his voice was soft and soothing, quite the opposite of what she was expecting. ‘When you’re ready, you can tell me all about it.’

Although she knew she couldn’t hope for a happy outcome, she needed to explain herself, and when her sobs had finally hiccuped to a stop, she wiped her face and told him everything. Her lost investment, Matt being made redundant, their financial difficulties and then Matt’s business idea, an opportunity to get them back on their feet again if they just had that initial lump sum.

‘I am going to pay it back.’ Her eyes stayed on her hands, which were knotted together in her lap. ‘Honestly I am. As soon as Matt’s new business is up and running.’

‘And he doesn’t know anything about it?’

She sighed and shook her head, her voice no more than a whisper. ‘I couldn’t tell him. Didn’t dare confess to what I’d done. He’d told me, you see. Very specifically told me not to take risks with the money, and we’d agreed to leave it in the deposit account. But then I had this moment of madness.’

She clasped a hand to her forehead, her mind taking her back to the moment when she’d made the rash decision, reliving the feelings of frustration that had led her to a choice she now regretted with all her heart.