But she was dreading the next few steps because not only did she still tire easily but there were a lot of things she couldn’t physically manage yet.

When the doorbell rang at eight o’clock the following morning, Elise went to peep out of the window before she opened it, to check that it wasn’t her niece. She didn’t feel she could face Mary yet. And if that was cowardly, well, there you were. She was about to go back to a comfortless house and manage on her own. That took all the bravery she had left.

But the caller was a pleasant surprise. She hurried to open the door. ‘Harriet! How lovely to see you, dear!’ Elise had seen quite a bit of her great-niece when she was younger. Mary had sometimes needed an after-school babysitter and in those days she hadn’t had much money to pay for one.

But Elise hadn’t seen much of Harriet in the last year or two. The scrawny child with braces on her teeth had grown up into a very nice-looking young woman, not pretty but surprisingly elegant in a casual way.

‘I’m on my way into town to meet some friends and Dad dropped me off here. I didn’t think you’d mind me turning up unannounced.’

‘I’m delighted. Come in quickly. It’s really chilly this morning. Winter is almost upon us.’

Elise shut the door, then turned to find herself gathered into a big hug.

She clung to Harriet for a few moments, then pulled back and tried to smile. ‘What brought that on?’

‘You looked so desperately sad, as if you needed a hug. Mum told me about Mr Pinkett dying. I’m really sorry. I know you and he were close friends. Anyway, I haven’t seen you for ages, so I wanted to hug you.’

‘You can do that any time.’

Harriet grinned. ‘I must say, you’re looking better than I expected from what Mum said. You know what she’s like, always expecting something to go wrong. Can I con you out of a cup of coffee?’

‘Yes, of course.’ She led the way into the kitchen and put the kettle on. Such a comforting ritual. ‘I presume you’re home on your Christmas break. What are you going to do with yourself?’

‘Look for a holiday job.’ She rubbed her forefinger and thumb together. ‘Money is in short supply.’

‘Tell me about it.’

Harriet looked at her in shock. ‘But Uncle Tom had a good job and left you with that big house.’

‘He was persuaded to convert his superannuation into one that only lasted for his lifetime, so when he died it did as well. He never thought he’d die before me, you see, because I was always the one falling ill.’

‘I’m so sorry.’

‘I’ll be all right for money once I’ve sold the house. Well, I will as long as I buy something that costs less than I get for the present house.’

They had a coffee together and Elise listened to tales of the young man Harriet had been going out with lately, with a mention of the good results she’d got in the term’s examinations thrown in with feigned casualness at the end.