He poured himself a short brandy and moved to the armchair. The fire had taken promptly to the timber and the man was quietly impressed with his efforts. Alec stretched his old legs out towards its warmth. He closed his eyes and listened, expecting to mark Lara’s entry at any moment, only to sigh at the thought of her caring for another. Alec considered calling on the off chance that her mother had since recovered. But he wasn’t confident that he could phrase the question without offending the girl’s privacy and coming across as pathetic.

Lara had never let him down like this in the past. He emptied his glass, swallowing down these selfish notions. The girl’s mother was poorly, and here was Alec condemning her for his empty stomach. He tried not to worry. Tomorrow, everything would return to normal. With this in mind, he vowed to visit the kitchen himself. Maybe Lara, ever organised, had left something out for him in the novel case of this happening. It wouldn’t be unlike the dear girl to anticipate his needs.

He rose to his feet, letting himself groan aloud, safe in the knowledge that nobody was around to hear. His legs ached as he padded his way across the study; there was certainly nothing unusual about that. Alec was surprised, however, to find that the door leading into the corridor was locked. He had no recollection of it being so before, even as a child. It must have been a fault within its mechanism. His was an old house after all.

Had Lara returned without him knowing? Surely not. The girl had a quiet step but even she couldn’t have passed behind his chair unnoticed.

He rapped on the door and waited. When no response came, he tried again with heavier knocks. The study was starting to feel uncomfortably warm. If Lara was in the corridor or the kitchen, then she must have heard him. Alec pulled the handle hard but it was of no use. Every door in his home was near indestructible by design. A locksmith would be required. In which case he was trapped in the study until daybreak and Lara was shut up, too. He would have to compensate her for the inconvenience of it all.

This problem, like any other, required some thought. And so, Alec replenished his glass and returned to his armchair.