‘You will,’ he laughed, ‘you’ll be mortified by tomorrow and you’ll be back here with me. You’ll have to be. You’re nothing without me, Hattie and you have no one—’

‘Goodbye, Jonathan.’

Shivering, I made my way down the stairs and filled the kettle. Where I had thought there would be relief and a sense of release, there was a dull ache. Not because I regretted what I had done, but because I knew that Jonathan didn’t believe that I had done it. I hoped he wouldn’t follow through on his threat to turn up and try and take me away. I wouldn’t put it past him. The man was so deep in denial he was a danger to himself as well as everyone else around him. I hoped he was going to use up the adrenalin our conversation had unleashed on the gym equipment rather than the gym staff.

‘Did I hear you talking to someone, Hattie?’

‘Morning, Dolly,’ I said, smiling up at her as she slowly made her way down the stairs.

‘Have we already had a visitor?’

‘No,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘I wanted to get talking to Jonathan over and done with early and the only place where I can get a decent signal inside is in one corner of the bathroom. I hope I didn’t wake you?’

‘No,’ she said, lowering herself stiffly into her chair next to the fire, ‘you didn’t. How did he take it? Dare I ask?’

‘Much as you’d expect,’ I shrugged.

‘You mean he didn’t believe you?’

‘Got it in one. He’s convinced I’ll change my mind.’

I didn’t tell her that he was threatening to come and get me. I didn’t want her worrying about him turning up and causing chaos. If he did arrive, I’d deal with him out of earshot of my friend who was still looking as tired as she had the night before.

‘His arrogance knows no bounds,’ she tutted.

‘Apparently not.’

‘I daresay he’ll be turning up here at some point,’ she said, ‘trying to get you to go back to the flat.’

I gave her a wry smile.

‘Best keep the door locked for today,’ she added, ‘and if he turns up later, we won’t be here anyway.’

That was quite a comforting thought.

*

I was on edge all day and I couldn’t wait for Beamish to whisk us away, even if he hadn’t sounded as though he wanted to whisk me anywhere.

‘Have you got your thermals on?’ I asked Dolly as the time ticked slowly by. ‘You know Beamish said you’d need layers.’

‘I have,’ she confided. ‘A long-sleeved top and leggings. I feel the cold more than I used to these days.’