Edith and Joss must have done very well indeed to be able to afford to live here. He thought of Joseph’s large house back in England. It looked like a shack compared to the properties here. The numbers were in the 22600s now and George felt excitement pound within him.

Then he saw it.

He stopped the car and stared at Edith’s house. It was large, like all the others, and set well back from the road. It had a long, sweeping drive that led up to a whitewood house that positively sprawled. It had to be at least eighty feet across. It had a deep cherry red roof from the centre of which rose a turret with windows round it, like an observatory. The windows all over the house had cherry red shutters and the double front door was cherry red as well. The gardens alongside the drive sloped down to the road and were a riot of shrubs and trees. George could see a lemon tree with a white seat beneath it. The lawns were cut to perfection and he could hear the faint sounds of the sprinklers as they watered the ground.

He wished his mother was sitting in the back, so she could see how well Edith had done for herself. But only for a second. If his mother had been here, the day would have been ruined.

She ruined everything.

He would send her a photograph of the house, though, to annoy her. He drove cautiously up the drive to the front door and stopped the car.

Then pandemonium broke out.

Two large Dobermans appeared around the side of the house as if by magic. George saw two sets of teeth coming towards him and immediately set about closing the electric windows, the dogs’ ferocious barking sending chills of fear through him.

Then he heard a female voice. ‘Dante . . . Inferno . . . Here, boys.’ The two dogs immediately stopped in their tracks and ran towards the sound, their small stumpy tails like lather brushes wagging as they made their way to the woman standing by the side of the house. It was Edith.

A changed Edith.

She was wearing a white dress with a thick black belt around her waist and black high-heeled shoes. She was slim and curvaceous. George was amazed. Edith had never had breasts. She looked better now than she had twenty years ago. He watched her put up her hand to shield her eyes as she tried to see who was in the car.

He opened the door and stepped out.

The bigger of the two dogs made as if to run at him and Edith called it back.

‘Hello, Edith. Long time no see.’

He watched happily as her eyes opened wide and her mouth curved into a grin.

‘George?’ Her voice was husky with emotion.

He nodded and then she was running towards him and into his arms, the dogs following, sensing that he was a friend.