Harriet shot a quick glance towards the door. ‘Thea! Slow down – you’re not making any sense and anyway, I’ve got to get you to Delores before Kyle comes back. She wants to see you before Aspire get their hands on you. We don’t have time for this.’

Thea took a deep breath, staring into her mug. Then she pierced Harriet with a fierce glare. ‘You saw all the clients board a boat, yes? You actually saw it yourself?’

Harriet didn’t answer. She took a step back and clasped her hands together, kneading her fingers.

‘When was the last time you saw any of them? Moira? Richard? Rosie?’

No answer.

Harriet suddenly sagged and sat down heavily next to her. She rubbed her face, smearing the mascara into the dark circles under her eyes, her lips flaking as if she’d bitten them a lot lately.

It was quiet for a minute or so. Occasionally Harriet looked as if she was about to say something, but then she seemed to change her mind. Thea realized that Harriet was clutching her hand and she held on, thankful for the warmth.

‘I’m so, so sorry,’ Harriet whispered at last. ‘I don’t know what’s going on and then this new company taking over, except they aren’t taking over because they owned us anyway? I don’t understand.’

The two women stared at each other, then Harriet bent closer to Thea, so close Thea could see the flecks of old mascara under her eyes. She whispered, ‘I … don’t think I like this …’

Thea didn’t know what to say so she squeezed the hand holding hers. Harriet darted a glance towards the door.

‘I have to go and see if Delores is ready for you. Please don’t leave this room, Thea. I think it’s – I think you’ll be safer here.’

She hesitated briefly in the doorway and looked back at Thea, biting her lip and frowning before she left the room. Thea was alone.

She ran her hand over the duvet. Her head was so heavy, Thea thought blurrily, and it had to be down to her eyes. They felt like rocks. Her neck, in comparison, was a broken flower stem. The room was so warm and the bed was so comfortable that it made sense to just lie that heavy head down for a few moments …

Chapter 42

She was exactly where she wanted to be. This room was fire-lit and as warm as a burrow. There were scones on a cute little table in the middle and a bowl of thick cream and jam with big pieces of fruit in it. She had a blanket over her knees and her chair was big enough for her to curl up.

‘See? I said it would be amazing.’ Rosie leant over. Her hair covered one eye, but she was smiling and scraping cream from her knife.