‘Nothing wrong with your hearing,’ Olivia commented.

William folded his arms across his chest. ‘If you’ve just come here to wave that,’ he nodded his head at Ted, ‘under my nose, then you can leave, mission accomplished!’

Olivia also folded her arms across her chest. ‘Not until you’ve had something decent to eat, and taken your tablets,’ she said firmly.

He stared at her without blinking for a few seconds before turning to face the window and relaxing his arms. ‘Fine, but none of that crap that Annie prepares for me. I want you to make it, agreed?’

‘Agreed,’ said Olivia. She turned to Ted. ‘Fancy scouse for your tea?’

Ted grinned. ‘If I must.’

As they left her father, Olivia turned to Ted. ‘Did you see him, Ted? He’s as skinny as a rake!’

Ted nodded. ‘You can see he’s not had a decent meal in a long while.’ He hesitated before voicing the thought uppermost in his mind. ‘I know Annie wouldn’t try and hurt your father, but let’s face it, he’s never going to win any popularity contests. Are you certain someone isn’t trying to bump him off, because he seems pretty sure?’

Olivia gave him a long-suffering look. ‘Don’t you start.’

He shrugged. ‘I bet there’s a few who’d be grateful to see the back of him, and he probably knows it too, that’s why he’s so paranoid.’

‘If I found crushed up tablets in my food, I think I’d be paranoid as well, especially if I’d done wrong to so many people,’ Olivia said reasonably, ‘but we don’t need to worry about that.’

They entered the kitchen where they found Annie washing the dishes. ‘Any joy?’ she asked Olivia.

Olivia nodded. ‘He’s agreed to eat a meal if I make it, but you’re right about the medication – he’s still convinced you’re trying to bump him off, or rather not so much you, as old employees, persuading you to do it for them.’

Annie’s lips formed a thin line. ‘In the beginning your father was convinced he was dying, and Doctor Palmer warned him at the time that such thoughts could become self-fulfilling prophecies, if you didn’t shake them.’ She smiled grimly. ‘From what I’ve seen I think the doc’s right.’

Olivia looked up at Ted. ‘I know we’re meant to travel to Glasgow tonight, but would you mind if we stayed here overnight and leave for Glasgow first thing in the morning?’

‘Of course I don’t mind, take as long as you need. There will be plenty of other opportunities.’

She smiled at him gratefully. ‘Thanks, Ted. I know it can’t be easy for you to be nice to my father, not after all he’s done, but that’s why I love you, because you’re the better man.’

Ted grinned. ‘It’s not easy being perfect.’

She aimed a playful swipe at his chest. ‘Come on, Mr Perfect, you can help me make the scouse.’

He pulled a face. ‘I can peel and chop stuff but that’s where it ends.’