‘I’m a bit busy at the moment. I’m in the middle of a meeting with my brother,’ he replied.

‘When do you think you’ll be free? I’m off out to do some shopping in a couple of hours. On my own.’

‘OK. That sounds doable. I’ll meet you in town at eleven clock. I’ll text you when I’m there. I shall look forward to it.’

‘And so shall I.’ And then, just for the fun of it, she added, ‘Oh, by the way, I do love the colour shirt you’re wearing. The blue really suits you.’ She hung up and giggled as she watched Dominic look up towards the house.

Elizabeth continued to watch the two men as they neared and then said their goodbyes. At the sound of the front door opening, Elizabeth hopped back into bed, making sure she cleared her phone history.

‘Hiya – you’re awake now,’ said Harry, coming into the room. He smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the lips. ‘How’s the head?’

‘Surprisingly clear,’ replied Elizabeth. ‘In fact, I was just about to jump in the shower. I’ve got to go out in a little while.’

‘Where are you going?’

‘I’ve got a massage booked. I thought I’d treat myself to one.’

‘In town? I’ll drive you in, if you like, and we can get some lunch afterwards.’

Elizabeth balked at the suggestion but quickly regained her composure. ‘Oh, normally I’d say yes, but I’m also planning on a bit of shopping for a certain someone’s birthday.’ She tapped the side of her nose, the lie slipping off her tongue with ease.

‘OK, I can take the hint,’ said Harry.

Chapter Thirty

Conmere, Tuesday, 14 May, 5.45 p.m.

Steph eventually made her excuses and left Eileen and Hazel in the kitchen, having gleaned quite a lot of background info on the Sinclairs. She wasn’t yet sure if it was going to be of any use, but she committed it to memory all the same. The abridged version was that Elizabeth had been a flirt. Dominic was a ladies’ man. Dominic also felt entitled because he was the eldest and liked to remind his brothers of this regularly, while Harry was more passive-aggressive and the peacemaker of the family. He was also the one who’d had enough and flown the nest after what happened to his wife.

Steph changed her clothes and decided to go to the lake to call Camilla. She liked it there; it felt peaceful, and the water was comforting. She did a quick scan of the area to make sure she was alone, then took out the business card and tapped in the number.

It was answered after the third ring. ‘Hello,’ came the voice of a woman.

‘Hello, can I speak to Camilla, please?’

‘Speaking. Who is this?’