No. She couldn’t think of that now.

She answered, forcing a smile into her voice. ‘Olivia, hi!’

‘Drat,’ Olivia said. ‘I wanted your voicemail. That’s why I rang your home phone. Are you sick?’

‘No, I finished early.’ About to explain, she stopped. ‘Why did you want to get my voicemail?’

‘Because Maxie’s dropped some bombshell news. I was in London with her on the weekend. She’s sworn me to secrecy but I’m disobeying her. She and Hazel are getting married! Not just anywhere, either. In Gretna Green. They’re practically eloping!’

Eliza had never heard Olivia sound so excited.

‘I begged her to let me be one of their witnesses. Of course, she said. Then this morning I had a brilliant idea to surprise Maxie. I’m ringing to make you an offer I hope you can’t and won’t refuse.’

‘Olivia, I —’

‘Please, Eliza, at least listen before you say no. My plan was to leave a long message to give you time to think about it. And then I wanted you to ring me tomorrow and say yes.’

‘Where are you? Still at Maxie’s?’

‘No, back in Edinburgh,’ Olivia said. ‘I got the sleeper train last night. Except I didn’t sleep. I was too busy coming up with my ingenious plan. Are you sitting comfortably?’

At first, Eliza listened closely. Out of habit, she even took notes. Then, as her godmother kept talking, she put down her pen and gazed around her apartment, noticing every detail as if for the first time.

She’d lived here for eight years but had barely made her mark on it. She had few belongings. In the bedroom was a tidy rack of clothes. In the living room, her books and a box of painting materials. On a shelf, the tall green vase and three coloured bowls her mother had loved. There was a postcard of her mother’s favourite painting on the fridge. On the wall, the framed enlarged photograph of her eleven-year-old self with her mum and godmothers, taken after the school concert. Everything else – the furniture, crockery, even the cutlery – belonged to her landlord.

Her entire home life could be dismantled in less than an hour if she wanted. As quickly as her work life had collapsed today. ‘I’m doing you a favour, if you ask me. Let’s face facts – you’re stuck in a rut.’

Olivia was still talking. ‘I’m not putting pressure on you, Eliza, though of course that’s exactly what I’m doing. Please think about it. I know it’s short notice. And yes, of course I know how you feel about flying. But we’ll deal with that, even if it takes a wheelbarrow of drugs. I know you’ll say you’re too busy at work, but you’re owed weeks of holidays. I also know Gillian still pays you a pittance, so I’ll cover your costs. Let’s call it an extra thirtieth birthday present. An early fortieth present. Please say yes. It would make Maxie’s day. Mine too. The three of us haven’t been in the same place together for —’