After a second muttered apology, Will asked when he might be able to see his wife, or at least speak to her. The doctor was vague. ‘I have high hopes that you’ll be able to visit fairly soon. Let’s just get a few more days under our belts.’

‘Give her my love.’

‘If she asks about you, then of course I will. Have patience, Mr Stonebridge. It’ll be worth it in the long run.’

Will hoped that it would, because this was agony. He called Barry, who said he could get a lad to him the following day and would ten o’clock be convenient?

How refreshing it was to hear nothing about his recent troubles. If only everything were so simple. When would life return to normality?

Absentmindedly, he began looking through Kate’s old paintings. He selected one entitled A Meeting of Fairies in the Forest and stood it on her workbench. He then took one of her most recent works, a grim and forlorn depiction of dark shapes trudging across the marsh at twilight and stood it beside the first. The two paintings had absolutely nothing in common.

He put the later picture back with the others, its face to the wall, and left the joyful woodland dance on the bench. He remembered her finishing it — her joyful smile when he had declared it her best to date. He had picked her up and swung her round. How he had loved her! He saw them not long after they had moved in, chasing each other through the house and giggling like two children.

Would they ever be like that again? He tidied her brushes up and straightened some sheets of paper. He doubted it but swore that he wouldn’t give up hope.

* * *

Days passed. Sophie remained silent, locked inside herself. Kate, he was told, was slowly responding to the drugs and the therapy.

Matt and Liz spent a lot of time with him, mainly trying to resurrect the garden after the damage wrought by all those policemen’s boots. They prepared nourishing meals, Will having no appetite for his own efforts.

He and Matt helped Emilia move back into her cottage, and he resumed his twice-daily walks there, just to reassure the old lady that he was around should she need him. They also provided a good excuse to get out of Holland House.