She didn’t immediately move away from his embrace because he’d started to let go of her, then grabbed her suddenly.

‘What’s wrong, Victor? Are you all right?’

‘I’m a bit dizzy. Just let me hold on to you for a minute. It’ll soon pass. The doctors have got me on some new heart medicine and I don’t think it agrees with me.’

‘I thought your blood pressure was under control?’

‘It is. Mostly. Never mind that. Let’s get you and your luggage inside.’

She turned to the taxi driver. ‘Did you hear all that, Ali? My niece has been stopping my friends from visiting me.’

‘She’s a bad ’un all right, missus. Good thing we got you away from her.’ He walked past them to set the biggest suitcase down near the front door, and went back to the car for the other bags.

‘You’re sure you don’t mind if I stay with you for a while, Victor? If I go home, Mary will come after me and arrange to have me put away by the authorities, I know she will. She’s already threatened it.’

‘I’ll make legally sure she can’t and regrets even trying. This is elder abuse.’

Elise sighed. ‘Unfortunately, I think she truly believes she’s doing this for my own good. She’s always been bossy, thinking she knows better than anyone else.’

‘She was very patronising to me on the phone, I must say. Talked to me slowly and loudly.’

‘She would. You’re even older than me, therefore you must be senile.’ She patted his wrinkled cheek. ‘My dear friend, there’s nothing whatsoever wrong with my brain, I promise you. I broke my hip and had to have a new one fitted. It happens to some old lady every day. Easy enough to fix. I’ll be as good as new soon – better, because my old hip had been hurting a lot recently and I was being a coward about having the operation.’

‘I could tell. You limped sometimes or winced for no obvious reason. Come inside and tell me all about it over a cup of tea. Young man, could you please carry the cases and bag in for us?’

‘Happy to.’ Ali beamed at them both. ‘This is another good thing, lady, having a good friend to help you.’

Victor flourished a bow and offered her his arm, then they walked slowly inside. She didn’t know which one of them was leaning on the other. And did that matter?

Ali followed with the luggage, by which time Elise had described exactly how the taxi driver had saved her.

Victor let go of her to pump Ali’s hand vigorously. ‘Well done, lad. Well done indeed! How much do we owe you?’

She watched him press double that amount into Ali’s hand.

‘Have you got a card? If we want a taxi in future, we’ll try you first.’

Ali beamed at him. ‘Thank you. Where do you want your suitcases?’

‘Put them in the bedroom at the back right, the blue room.’