She turned at that. Flared her nostrils.

‘That snooty thing? Married to the great fat man?’

‘You know who I’m talking about,’ I said, in no mood for her games.

‘Spent a fortune on that place and she doesn’t deserve any of it,’ sniffed Janet, and her head went further into the rubbery folds of her neck. ‘You seen the old orchard? Like a jungle. And there were a decent enough turnip field came with it. Just left it to rot, she did. Could have offered it out if she didn’t want it. But that would mean speaking to the likes of us.’

I found myself offended on Cordelia’s behalf. ‘She doesn’t know farming, Janet. And her husband works in London. She’s all alone up there. And she’s had her grief.’

Janet softened a little at that. ‘Aye, were a tragedy. Where did she bury him? Family church, was it?’

I said nowt. Didn’t want to tell her she’d had her son cremated and scattered among the headstones like confetti at a wedding.

‘What was she like?’ asked Janet, standing up. She was holding a map and squinting at it.

‘Like?’ I asked.

‘Snooty, was she? Bet she was.’

‘She was fine,’ I said. ‘Bit stand-offish but she’s been through a lot. She’s lonely, I think, though she doesn’t know it. She’s been to university, y’know. Got a good head on her shoulders.’

Janet gave a shake of her head, like a dog trying to dry off. She wasn’t impressed.

‘Tree came down near you, I heard.’

I felt it in my chest. A tightening, like somebody was pulling at the straps of my bra.

‘It did,’ I said, and hoped she’d shut up about it. ‘Crashed down on the Kinmont tomb. That’s where Fairfax was heading, so they say. To tell the family about the damage.’

‘In that weather? On the Spadeadam road?’ Janet wasn’t having any of it. ‘He must have had a bang to the head.’

‘Got himself muddled, I reckon,’ I said, and I suppose I meant it. ‘He took a shine to Cordelia. Maybe he was trying to play hero.’

Janet’s features went pointy. She was cross. ‘Cordelia, is it?’ she asked, in her fake lah-di-dah voice. ‘She was in your house?’

‘I told you, the storm came down.’ I don’t know why she were being such a cow about it. I tried explaining. ‘She would have got drenched walking all the way back up to her place.’

Janet sniffed and gave the map more attention. ‘Well, you know her better than I do so I couldn’t say whether she can handle the rain or not.’