Louisa was surprised to see Tiff’s car was in the drive – she must’ve popped out earlier when Oliver had driven past. Louisa swung the pram through the open gate and proceeded around the back. She hesitated at the patio door, her clenched fist about to knock on the glass. She couldn’t bear to get the brush-off again, couldn’t cope with the questions that would throw up. The paranoia – as Oliver would put it – that would ensue. If someone else was in there with Tiff, she wasn’t sure how she’d handle the situation. Barge past, rush inside and see for herself who her visitor was? Or leave with her tail between her legs, annoyed and upset by what she’d see as another snub?

She leant her forehead against the cold glass. She had to make a decision. Knock – or walk away.

She knocked.

With her breath held, Louisa waited. There was no movement. She hammered on the door again, her knuckles smarting from the force. She stood, rubbing them, watching for Tiff to come to the door.

Damn her. Louisa knew she was in there, hiding, waiting for her to leave. Perhaps she wanted to avoid further confrontation or, as was the case last time, someone could be in there with her and she didn’t want Louisa to see who. Anger surged through her veins, a dark veil cascading down over her eyes.

Louisa stomped down the decking steps and, turning back to the house, looked up at the top windows. No sign of anyone watching her. She took her mobile and rang Tiff’s. Straight to voicemail. She’d obviously turned it off – which proved Louisa’s theory: Tiff knew she was here, outside her house, and was avoiding her.

As she took another step backwards, a sharp pain shot through her calf and she tripped, losing her balance, but with arms flailing, managed to keep herself from falling to the floor. ‘Shit.’ She rubbed her hand over the area on her calf that had struck the object. Louisa’s mouth slackened as she realised what she’d walked into. Bloody hell. Tiff had crashed the drone. It lay, partly concealed by a circle of shrubs in the middle of the garden. How irresponsible to borrow something then not look after it.

Louisa pulled it from its resting place, brushing off loose soil, and walked back up the steps. After placing it on the patio table, she banged on the door once again. She’d trusted Tiff with Brian’s new gadget and now it looked as though it had done a round with a plane. He really was going to be mad at her for giving it to Tiff, however much he liked her friend.