“You another victim of hers, Paddy?” asked Cordelia, not waiting for a reply. “That Smith-Couper always had the charm and rapacity of a jackal. But, of course, she’d left before you arrived, hadn’t she? A fine piece of work she is. Beauty and the Beast rolled into one gift-wrapped package. Do you know what the bitch has done to me? And done it, I may say, in the full knowledge that we were both scheduled for this weekend in the Alma Mater?” There was a pregnant pause. Lindsay recalled that Cordelia had started her career in the theatre.

“She’s suing me for libel. Only this week I got the writ. She claims that the cellist in Across A Crowded Room is a scurrilous portrait of her good self. Though why she should go out of her way to identify herself with a character whose morals would not have disgraced a piranha fish is quite beyond me. That aside, however, she is looking for substantial damages, taking into account the fact that the bloody thing made the Booker list and is about to come out in paperback. If she was going to get in a tizz, you’d think it would happen when the book came out, wouldn’t you? But not with our Lorna. Oh no, she waits till she’s sure there’s enough money in the kitty. Infuriating woman.” Having let off steam, Cordelia subsided into her chair, muttering, “There you are, Lindsay, there’s the peg to hang your feature on. The real-life confrontation between the Suer and the Sued. By the way, Paddy, I hope I’m not bedded down within a corridor’s length of our Lorna. The temptation to get up in the night and commit murder most foul might be altogether too much for me!”

Through her infatuated daze, even Lindsay could detect the acrimony behind the self-mocking humor in Cordelia’s voice. “Luckily not,” Paddy replied quickly, “she’s in Pamela Overton’s flat.” She went on to explain that Cordelia was to occupy the guest room in Longnor, while Lindsay was to have the room next door, its occupant having volunteered to give up her room to the visitor in return for the privilege of sharing her best friend’s room for the two nights.

“Fine by me,” yawned Cordelia. “Oh God, I must have a shower. I feel so grubby after that drive, and I need something to wake me up. Okay if I use yours, Paddy?” Paddy nodded. Cordelia opened her holdall and raked around till she found her sponge-bag, then headed for the bathroom, promising to be as quick as possible.

“Another drink?” Paddy demanded. “You look as if you could use it. Quite a character, isn’t she?”

“Wow,” said Lindsay. “Just, wow. How do you expect me to sleep knowing she’s only the thickness of a wall away?”