‘You want me to what?’ Ezra said, when Gilly explained. ‘With who?’

‘Oh, come on, Ezra,’ Gilly said. ‘Trust me, if you agree to be a part of this, my project can’t possibly fail. What I’ve got in my head – it’s brilliant.’

‘Hmm,’ he mumbled, around a mouthful of biscuit. ‘I can think of another word for it. Conniving, there’s one. Trouble – there’s another.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You’re up to something, my girl, I can tell.’

‘Of course I’m up to something. I’m trying to get this Art Higher, aren’t I?’ She jabbed a finger at him. ‘Which you talked me into doing, let’s not forget.’

‘Sure there isn’t another plan up that oversized sleeve of yours?’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘We’re never going to be friends, Gilly,’ Ezra said gently. ‘I know that you care about us both, and you’d like us to get along – but you’ve just got to accept that we never will.’ He looked almost gloomy for a second. ‘That woman can’t stand me, and that’s that.’

Gilly, relieved, felt a triumphant spark light itself in her gut. This was the first time that Ezra had let on that he might actually be affected by how Edie felt about him.

‘Five minutes,’ was all Gilly said. ‘Come on, Ezra. I’m only in this mess because of you two. Can’t you spare me that?’

Ezra looked at her for a second, then sighed. ‘All right, all right. I’ll sit for your photo if that bitter old curmudgeon can stop herself from scratching my eyes out for a few minutes.’

‘Great,’ Gilly said. ‘Now to work out when. I need to get started as soon as possible.’

Ezra shrugged. ‘Better ask Lady Muck when suits her and I’ll do my best to fit around her timetable. If I suggest something, she’ll only find some objection.’

After some back and forth, it was decided that the photo session would take place in Edie’s front room on Friday evening that same week. Edie had tried to argue that the print room would surely do, but Gilly was adamant that she wouldn’t be able to position the chairs the way she wanted them for the piece in the print room. Edie eventually gave in, though not without a scowl. Then Ezra revealed that he had a spare old iPhone that she could use.

‘Thing’s just been sitting around ever since I upgraded,’ he said. ‘Battery’s pretty much shot, or I’d say you could get a SIM card for it too. It should work fine as a camera though, at least for what you want.’

‘You’re playing with fire,’ Rachel warned, when she heard what Gilly had set up. ‘I really don’t think this is a good idea.’

Ron, however, laughed heartily. ‘Oh, this is going to be great,’ he said. ‘Can you film it, too?’

On Friday, Gilly tried to use some of the money she had earned working at the bookshop to buy a bottle of wine from the Co-op, thinking that forcing Ezra and Edie into close proximity would probably be aided by alcoholic libation. The woman behind the counter watched her through the security monitor as she chose a bottle of white from the chiller cabinet and stared at her suspiciously when she went to pay.