Cheryl leant forward. ‘I heard you’re staying in Bishops Yard.’ Nell knew better than to be surprised, that everyone in town knew everyone’s business was a given. ‘That’s right,’ she said. ‘Elder House, right at the top.’

‘Really?’ Cheryl widened her eyes. ‘Rather you than me.’

Ben smiled, ‘Don’t you start,’ he said.

‘Am I missing something?’ Nell looked around the table.

‘Nothing,’ said Ben, ‘nothing at all. Just some daft ghost story made up for tourists.’

‘Tourists and incomers,’ said Nancy, taking a sip of her drink. ‘Do you remember that bloke who did the ghost walk? He’d take people up the yard and onto the steps and with no thought that it might upset Gina.’

‘Gina?’ said Nell.

‘Standing there in his top hat and tails, going on about how Elder House has never been at peace. Like he’d know anything about the place at all.’ Nancy glared at her mother. ‘And which everyone knows is a load of nonsense. Anyway, they put a stop to it, said it was an invasion of privacy.’

‘Who did?’ said Nell.

But before Nancy could reply, Nell became aware of a familiar figure cutting through the crowd: Carolyn, closely followed by a man Nell didn’t recognise – her husband, no doubt. She caught Nell’s eye and waved. Nancy picked up her empty glass and grinned apologetically at Nell. ‘Who do you think?’ she said. ‘He can’t have known, but even so, you’d think he’d bother to check.’ She stood up. ‘Drink?’

Nell shook her head. ‘No. I’m fine with this, thanks.’

‘OK, well, good luck.’ Nancy turned and headed towards the bar, saying hello to the Wilsons as she went, but not breaking her stride.

Carolyn bent down to hug Nell as the man claimed one of the empty seats at the table. ‘Well, this is . . .’ Carolyn looked around the room, then sat in the chair Nancy had left vacant, pulling it closer. ‘This is all very nice.’

Nell decided to take the comment at face value. ‘It is, isn’t it?’

‘Ollie, this is Nell, Nell, this is my husband, Oliver.’

‘Nice to meet you.’ Oliver extended a hand. He looked pleasant enough, solid, stocky, with red hair and freckles.

Carolyn scanned the room. ‘Where’s Chris?’

‘He couldn’t make it,’ said Nell.

‘Oh?’

‘He had to go back to the gallery to deal with some work stuff.’

‘That sounds serious,’ said Carolyn.

‘It’s not. It’s really not,’ said Nell. ‘He’ll be back in a couple of days.’

‘You should come to us for dinner,’ said Carolyn.

‘There’s really no need—’

‘Supper, then. I insist. Maude too. We can’t have the two of you rattling around that old house all on your own and we’d love to have you, wouldn’t we, Oliver?’

‘Of course.’

‘I need to . . . check.’