‘We’re not,’ said Milly, disinterested. Belle was off her head, wanting to schlepp to some damned factory or office to spend her days there grafting. The way Milly saw it, they were fortunate. They didn’t have to lift a finger. OK, sometimes that was a bore. But then – so was working for a living.

‘Oh come on. There must be a way.’

‘Well – really? – all right then. I think you’re mad, but maybe there’s something in Mum’s journals?’

‘What?’

‘I bet there’ll be something about the furniture factories in there. But look, Belle, there’s no point. If your dad or mine got wind of you working at one of their places, they’d blow a bloody gasket and you’d be straight out the door.’

Belle considered this. ‘Yeah, I suppose.’

Milly was thinking too. ‘They do visit the factories. They’ve got the manufacturing bases for the big retailers, but they’ve also got the accounts offices and admin departments and so on.’

‘So?’

‘Harlan said something about the staff at the admin and accounts offices never seeing your dad or mine at all these days.’

So they had to wait for Nula to go out, then creep into the sitting room and open the big pouffe where Nula stashed her current journals. There were a lot of them in there and they sweated for over an hour to find details of the family business.

‘This is ridiculous. Can’t we just ask your mum?’ said Belle, getting impatient.

‘Nope. She won’t tell us anything. She never has, and never will. I’ve asked her before, and she always shuts me down.’

‘This is so fucking silly,’ said Belle, thumbing through. Then she stopped. ‘Wait. What’s this?’

There was an address in Clacton. She showed it to Milly.

‘Do you know this address?’ she asked.

‘Nope,’ said Milly.

‘This could be it. One of the admin offices?’

‘Yeah, but look, Belle. You won’t get anything except a kick up the arse for your trouble.’

Belle ignored that. She made a quick note of the address and tucked it in her jeans pocket. Then she helped Milly load the journals back into the pouffe. Through the lounge window they could see the Bentley coming up the drive, Paul at the wheel this time. Nula was back.

‘You’re so fucking obstinate,’ said Milly as she and Belle left the lounge.

‘Quitters never win,’ said Belle. ‘And winners never quit.’ It was something she’d heard Milly’s dad say, more than once. And in that he was absolutely right.

As they were crossing the hall, Charlie came out of his study. Spotting Milly there, he hooked a finger at her. ‘In here,’ he said, and turned and went back in.

‘Catch you later,’ said Milly to Belle, and followed him into the study, closing the door behind her.

Charlie was pacing the floor, his face thunderous.