‘Well, I’d better head off then,’ she said with a smile. ‘I’ve got lots to collect from the back of the car and we need to get everything open. I can hear some kids arriving already.’

‘Have you tried Mrs Bumble’s mulled cider yet?’ asked Nina, who’d been rather quiet so far this morning.

‘Not yet. Is it good?’ Nina rubbed her forehead and made a groaning sound. ‘Have a drink with Johnny, did you?’

‘Not this time. I just got carried away watching Call the Midwife. I’m supposed to be on the information point today, but does anyone mind swapping with me? I think my head’s going to explode.’

‘I’ll swap with you for a bit,’ said Mr Whittaker. ‘But what you need is a nice bacon sandwich—’

Nina crumpled over. ‘Urgh.’

‘Nonsense, it’ll sort you out a treat. I can smell Annie’s cooking it now.’ He inhaled deeply. ‘Delicious.’

The aroma was appetising, and Bella’s stomach rumbled. She hadn’t bothered having breakfast before she came out. Normally she was a firm believer in the most important meal of the day but since Evan had left, she’d let the habit fall. In the first week it was because of a continual queasiness present from the minute she woke up, single at thirty-five, but the nausea hadn’t been as strong over the last week or so. In fact, some mornings she’d woken up so eager to deliver more forms, put up posters or simply get to work that she’d forgotten about eating. Maybe it was time to get back to her old habit, especially as now she could eat what she wanted and didn’t have to worry about Evan. There were certain things he didn’t like and would therefore never touch, like smoked salmon, even for her.

‘I might grab one on my way,’ Bella said, placing a hand on her stomach as if to feel the emptiness. ‘I’m famished.’

‘Good to see you eating,’ said Mr Whittaker. ‘We don’t want you wasting away. Oh, and don’t forget your torch.’ He handed her a huge LED lamp that was so bright it could have been used on a lighthouse.

‘Umm, excuse me,’ said Matilda. ‘Are we not even going to talk about Seymour Cole and Nick Cowley having a fight? I’ve heard all sorts about it. Someone said Nick had a kitchen knife and then someone else told me he had knuckledusters while Seymour had a gun. Honestly. I mean, where does one even buy knuckledusters?’

‘On eBay,’ said Mr Whittaker knowingly and they all fell silent. Bella didn’t want to think about how he might know that. ‘Anyway, that’s nonsense.’

‘I never believed any of them,’ Matilda continued in a voice that said she very much had. ‘We all know Seymour will have started it. Nick’s a lovely fellow.’