The room had caught wind of this tussle, the building tension, and eyes were roaming around in interest.

‘Twelve hundred,’ called out Kate, her stomach constricting as she realized that was a heck of a lot of overtime.

‘Thank you,’ acknowledged the headmistress, after a minuscule pause. She knows my financial situation, realized Kate, the added humiliation fuelling her anger further.

‘Two thousand,’ said Julia.

The room gave a collective intake of breath.

‘Two thousand two hundred!’ said Kate, aware that she was way out of the realms of overtime. There was only one place where she had this sort of money. A precious, untouchable sum that had taken her years to save. But some menace had caught hold of her and wouldn’t let go.

‘Two and a half,’ called out Julia.

‘Has your mum gone mental?’ asked Claire, sotto voce, leaning into Becky.

‘Mum, you have to stop,’ urged Becky, her voice lowered.

The hall waited with bated breath.

‘Three,’ said Kate.

A murmur rippled across the room.

‘Are you sure, love?’ asked Sue, awkwardly.

Kate was dimly aware that her daughter was looking at her, stricken, and that Becky knew what money it was she’d just blown: her entire university savings. But now Kate had gone down this hole, there was no way out. For the first time since she’d started bidding, she looked across at Julia, saw the small taunting smile on her face.

Then she realized: Julia was just toying with her, as a cat might a mouse it had by the tail. Suddenly Kate felt her bravado crumble. Oh, please God, let her bid more, she thought.

The whole room was waiting. Julia turned her head towards the stage, her blonde layers fluttering as she did so. She smiled regretfully. ‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to let my opponent win this one,’ she said graciously.

All eyes swung to Kate. She had been caught in a trap. A trap of her own making.

‘Any other bids?’ asked the headmistress, holding it open longer than she should, Kate knew, a last act of redemption.

No one came forward to save her.

The headmistress still hesitated, not wanting to condemn Kate to her purchase. Kate’s cheeks flamed. The entire hall was watching. Becky was sitting by her side, eyes pained, seeming small and curled up in herself.

Finally, the headmistress tapped her gavel. ‘Sold,’ she said.

There was utter silence. No one clapped. A few faces looked embarrassed, turned away for her sake, Kate knew.

The headmistress rallied. ‘Congratulations! That concludes our day, ladies. Thank you all so much for coming.’ People started to rise in their chairs, make their way out.

‘You must send us a postcard,’ said Julia, as she glided by.

As soon as they got in the house, Becky ran up to her room and closed the door.

Kate stood at the bottom of the stairs. Her heart sank as she thought she caught the sound of a sob.

Climbing the stairs after her daughter, she walked along the landing, stopping outside Becky’s door. She knocked.