‘Here we go!’ Jo bustled through the door several minutes later, carrying a laden tray. She placed it gently on the coffee table. ‘I raided your cupboards so there’s tinned salmon sandwiches, and chocolate biscuits. Enough to keep us going till we can think about something more substantial for dinner.’

Dinner? Allison gave a half-hearted laugh. ‘If I can manage a sandwich, I’ll be doing well. Dinner is out of the question.’

Instead of answering, Jo handed her a side plate and held out the sandwiches.

They were, Allison was amazed to see, cut into triangles, the crusts removed. She took one, then another when she was urged, the voice refusing to accept no for an answer.

‘You need someone to bully you for a while,’ Jo said in justification, sitting back with a smile of satisfaction. ‘Eat those, drink some tea, then maybe have a couple more – they’re only small.’

Only small, but Allison nearly choked trying to swallow the first. She felt like she’d fallen down a well. There was light at a distance, but a rigid circle restrained her, making it difficult to breathe. Panic shot through her. She gagged on the bolus of chewed bread and tinned fish and, with a hand over her mouth, rushed from the room.

Desperate, she made it as far as the kitchen sink before retching, sending the chewed food and tea gushing into the sink. She reached out for the roll of kitchen towel and tore a few sheets from it, dampening them and wiping her face. A few deep breaths and she felt calmer.

A voice drifted from the living room. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yes, I’ll be there in a sec.’ Allison grabbed a glass and filled it with cold water, leaning against the sink and sipping it slowly. She needed to get rid of Jo. After a final wipe of her face, she pressed her foot to the pedal of the bin to dispose of the damp tissue and gasped. Inside, in pieces, were her beautiful teacups and the lovely teapot.

‘Oh, sorry, I was going to tell you.’

The voice, coming from immediately behind Allison, startled her; she stepped backwards, the lid of the bin dropping with a bang. ‘You shouldn’t creep up on people!’

‘Sorry.’ Jo shrugged apologetically. ‘I came to check if you were okay.’

Allison jabbed a finger at the bin. ‘What happened?’ She’d priced that teapot on eBay, had seen similar selling for upward of eight hundred pounds. What had seemed a drop in the ocean at the time now looked completely different. ‘It’s a Sadler teapot.’

‘I’ve no idea if that means it’s good or it’s tat,’ Jo said. ‘I’m afraid I was a little clumsy and they slipped from the tray.’

Slipped? Two cups, two saucers and a teapot all went crashing to the ground without making a sound? ‘I didn’t hear anything.’