‘Come on. Let’s get it over with.’ She gritted her teeth and stared down at the row of fishermen’s cottages that backed onto the sand dunes. ‘At least the man has taste. He lives in a nice place. Right by the beach. You’ll like it when you’re a bit older.’

Jenny opened her door and walked round the car. Daisy was still blowing bubbles as she undid the straps and lifted the baby carefully out of the seat and onto her shoulder.

Then she took a deep breath, locked the car and paused at the top of the path. ‘Brace yourself, Alex Westerling,’ she muttered, her hand shaking slightly as she stroked the baby’s back. ‘Your past is about to catch up with you.’

* * *

Three miles away in the accident and emergency department, Alex Westerling finished his examination and straightened up.

‘Well? Am I done for, Doctor?’ The elderly lady lying on the trolley scowled at him, but he saw the anxiety in her eyes.

‘You’re not done for, Mavis,’ he said gently, replacing the blanket and lifting the sides of the trolley. ‘But you won’t be dancing for a few weeks. You’ve broken your ankle.’

‘Broken my—’ The old lady broke off and frowned. ‘Nonsense. It’s just sprained.’

‘It’s broken.’

‘You can’t know that. You haven’t even sent me for an X-ray.’

‘I’m going to do that now,’ Alex replied, reaching for the appropriate form and scribbling on it. ‘But I already know it’s broken.’

‘How? Are you Superman? Do doctors come equipped with X-ray vision these days?’

Alex handed the form to the staff nurse who was hovering. ‘Mavis, you couldn’t put any weight on it after you fell and you’re tender over the medial malleolus—which is this bone here…’ He lifted his trouser leg to show her on himself and she winked at him.

‘Nice legs.’

Alex laughed and released his trouser leg. ‘Glad you think so.’

‘So if you’re so clever, why are you bothering with the X-ray?’

‘Because I want to have a proper look at the fracture,’ he said patiently. ‘Check that there isn’t anything else I should know about. Do you want me to blind you with science? I can explain exactly what I’m looking for if you like. Talar shift, or—’

‘All right, all right, I get the picture. I’ll have the X-ray.’ Mavis studied him carefully. ‘I know you. You’re the one that’s always in those glossy magazines. Rolling in money. Son of Sir-something-or-other and Lady-something-or-other. They live in a stately home. I saw pictures of it in a magazine. Garden bigger than a park.’

The nurse froze and glanced nervously at Alex. Alex Westerling was notoriously close-mouthed about his personal life and his family connections and certainly no one who worked with him ever dared raise the subject.

There was a moment’s tense silence and then Alex shook his head and started to laugh.

‘Anything else you know about me, Mavis?’

‘Only that you’re a bit of a heartbreaker, if the reports are to be believed.’