“Thanks, Johan.” Al smiles up at him but then winces as Sally eases off her boot and rolls down her sodden sock. “Hope you didn’t put your back out.”

“No problem.” He strolls back out of the kitchen and heads for Isaac’s study, his face still pinched and drawn.

Sally stands up and crosses to the sink. She picks up a tea towel from the draining board and runs it under the tap. “I’m afraid we don’t have any ice, so a wet compress will have to do.”

Al mouths her thanks then smiles at Leanne, who is clutching her right hand, limpet-like.

“I’m so glad you’re back,” she breathes. “You have no idea how much I would have missed you.”

“You’d have joined us in a week’s time,” I say. “It’s not like you were never going to see her again. Unless …” The fog in my brain lifts. There’s only one explanation for Leanne’s over-the-top reaction to Al’s return. “… unless you were planning on staying here and not coming back to the UK with us.”

“Yeah, right, Emma,” Al says. “Of course she wants to give up her cosy little studio flat with a fridge stocked with food to sleep on the floor and eat lentils for the rest of her life.”

As Al laughs heartily, a flicker of irritation crosses Leanne’s face. She doesn’t say anything but instead eases off Al’s other boot then stands up. “I’ll get you a nice cup of chai, Al. It’ll warm you up.”

“I’d love one, too,” I say, slightly too loudly. “I’ll drink it after I’ve had a shower. See you guys in a bit.”

“See you!” Al raises a hand in goodbye as Leanne turns on her heel, crosses the kitchen and takes one cup down from the shelf.

“I’ll put some extra sugar in it for you, Al.”

Daisy is standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall beside the table, with her arms crossed. She’s dressed in a floor-length maxi dress that’s a size too big for her, with her hair piled up on her head and wrapped in an indigo scarf.

“Hi.” I pull the kitchen door shut behind me. “We’re back! Al slipped over and hurt her—”

“We need to talk. Let’s go into the girls’ dormitory.”

Without waiting for a response, she leaves the hall and walks down the walkway and into the dorm. It’s dark and gloomy, the sky black with rainclouds beyond the window.

“Sit down, please.” She gestures towards my mattress then sits down on Al’s and arranges her dress over her crossed legs.

I ease my backpack off, letting it fall to the ground with a thump, then rotate each of my shoulders in turn. “What’s this about? Why are you being so weird?”