‘All right,’ said Matthew. ‘They’re asking for offers over eight hundred and fifty thousand pounds.’

Elspeth stopped walking. ‘Eight hundred and fifty thousand pounds?’ she repeated slowly.

Matthew confirmed the figure with a nod. ‘So that means we’ll have to pay quite a bit more than that if we want to get it. You heard what the lawyer at McKay Norwell said. She said they had several notes of interest. That means there’s going to be competition.’

‘Maybe we shouldn’t bother,’ said Elspeth. ‘I’m not sure if I want to get into a bidding war.’

Matthew, who still had a protective arm about her, gave her a squeeze. ‘But you loved it,’ he said. ‘I could tell. You really felt at home, didn’t you?’

He knew; he had seen her expression. Yes, she did want it; she wanted it badly; but eight hundred and fifty thousand pounds? For a flat? With eight hundred and fifty thousand pounds one could buy a small farm in Ayrshire; or a slightly down-at-heel chateau in a less fashionable part of France; or … there were so many things one could do with eight hundred and fifty thousand pounds.

‘How much do you think we’d get for India Street?’ she asked.

Matthew thought for a moment. ‘I saw an advertisement for a flat like ours in Northumberland Street,’ he said. ‘And Northumberland Street is a little bit less desirable than India Street. Five hundred and twenty thousand.’

Elspeth, being a teacher – even one who had been obliged to resign – at least could do mental arithmetic. ‘A three hundred and thirty thousand pound shortfall,’ she said. It seemed such a discouragingly large sum; surely Matthew would see that.

But all he said was: ‘Yes. That’s about it.’

‘Well, we can’t afford that,’ she said. ‘So we need to find somewhere else.’

Matthew shook his head. ‘No, we don’t. I can get hold of that. Have you forgotten …’

He did not complete his question. He felt embarrassed about his situation, even with Elspeth.

‘Have you got that much?’ she asked.

Matthew was taken aback. Had he never told her? Perhaps not.

‘Elspeth,’ he whispered. ‘I’m not short of cash.’

She looked away. ‘I didn’t suppose you might be. But that’s a very large sum.’

‘But we can easily afford it,’ said Matthew. ‘If you want it.’ He paused. ‘And as far as I’m concerned, I’d really love to live there.’

‘Then let’s go for it,’ said Elspeth.

‘All right,’ said Matthew. ‘I’ll phone our lawyers the moment we get back to the flat.’

Our lawyers: it was not a phrase that Elspeth had ever had occasion to use. It sounded immensely grand to be able to say our lawyers, but it seemed entirely natural for Matthew.

‘I didn’t know that we had lawyers,’ said Elspeth.