Kat, however, seemed hooked. “Oh. My. God,” she said. “I’d forgotten how terrible Jenna looked by the end.” She glanced at Lizzie. “Did you ever meet her? Jenna Gascoyne? She was in a few high-profile films but her career tanked when she started to suffer from anorexia.” Kat paused. “Poor Jenna, she looks like a ghost in this photo. They say she was living on tissues and laxatives. Arthur did his best but she was beyond help. He—”

“—is coming back inside,” Lizzie said. “So you’d better stop talking about him.” Her chest tightened with something akin to panic. There was no chance of getting into the car and heading to the studio until the scrum of reporters had eased a little and the last thing she wanted was Arthur coming in and taking up where Anna had left off. He was crossing the foyer towards them now. Kat smoothed her skirt and stood up a little straighter, smiling as he approached. “Wow,” she breathed in Lizzie’s ear. “He is so hot.”

Lizzie didn’t reply. She would have categorised Arthur as very hot indeed were it not for the fact that he was looking at her with absolute disdain which prejudiced her against him quite strongly. The scar on her palm where the crystal had cut her tingled suddenly. She pressed her hands together.

“Hi,” Kat said, before Arthur could speak.

Arthur gave her a cool nod. His gaze was fixed on Lizzie and again she felt the depth of his disapproval, all the more powerful for not being articulated.

“Miss Kingdom,” he said formally. “I’m Arthur Robsart, Johnny’s half-brother. We met once before?” he continued as though indifferent as to whether or not she remembered. “I wanted to apologise on Johnny’s behalf. He shouldn’t have accosted you like that.”

“He’s upset,” Lizzie said. She felt simultaneously relieved that Arthur wasn’t going to have a go at her and protective of Johnny. “I understand how he feels,” she said. “He—you—must all be going through a horrible time.”

Arthur Robsart’s mouth flattened with dislike. Evidently she wasn’t entitled to offer sympathy to Amelia’s family. “Nevertheless,” he said, “Johnny won’t trouble you again.”

“He only wanted to talk to me,” Lizzie said. “I’m sorry we didn’t get the chance...” She waved a vague hand around. Under Arthur’s objective scrutiny she felt embarrassed. The security guards were still standing nearby in a watchful silence, arms crossed. They were paid to protect her and they had been doing their job but it didn’t feel like a good excuse.

“As I said,” Arthur repeated, “he won’t trouble you again.” His expression was cold. He turned to go.

“Wait.” Lizzie caught his sleeve.

She felt a burn of sensation against her fingers immediately. It was exactly like the feeling she had when she touched her mother’s possessions, or read other objects, and yet at the same time it was completely different. She had never experienced any sort of telepathic response when touching people before. Yet now it was as though she had stepped directly into Arthur Robsart’s mind.