‘He’s trying to get a fucking appeal going, you stupid cunt. If he doesn’t, he could do a deal. Did that ever occur to you, or your father for that matter? Did it not come into your father’s reasoning about all this then? That Georgio might ask for leniency for opening his trap about a scandal that would leave us both waist-high in shit, and about a business that would be the talk of everyone in the country - a disgusting industry that you were all for. Even I baulked at it at first. Now I wish I had listened to myself for once instead of you and that ponce of a father of yours. Major Browning, my arse! The nearest he ever got to the Army was the fucking glasshouse for desertion. Now stop whining and get round there and pacify that bitch of a wife of Georgio’s.’

Bunty’s eyes were wide and staring. Their icy blue held a glint of steel as she tried to cut her husband in half with their glare.

‘How dare you! How dare you talk about my father like that? The Major is a respected man . . .’

Harry groaned out loud and cut his wife off. His voice low now, he said sadly, ‘Why do you insist on this charade, Bunty? I am Harry - your husband, remember? I met you years ago when you were living in Huddersfield and Daddy was banged up in Strangeways for fraudulent deception. Your father is a conman, love - a good one I admit, but a conman all the same. You never went to private school, you never owned a pony, and you never lived in Singapore. So please stop pretending with me, eh? Just listen for once. Get in your car, drive over to Donna Brunos’s house and give her a load of old fanny. Make sure she knows we’re on her husband’s side. Tell her we waited until it had all died down before we made our move. She’ll understand that much, she’s more intelligent than you ever gave her credit for. Find out what the score is, and what’s happening with Georgio. Do this, Bunty, because all our futures are in Georgio’s hands at the moment. Mine, yours and the Major’s.’

Bunty listened to the tone of her husband’s voice, saw the desperation in his eyes, and sensed his animosity towards her father. She decided it was better to retreat on this occasion. Harry could be henpecked, he could be manipulated, he could be utterly stupid. But once he laid down the law, Bunty was inclined to listen, mainly because if he pushed the issue, he was generally in the right. Harry had one thing in common with his wife: both were marvellous at saving their own arses.