Ella wiped the faintest hint of perspiration from her brow. ‘I’m trying to get back in shape after Christmas and thought I’d drop by to wish you a happy New Year.’

‘And a happy New Year to you too,’ Faith said despite the fact it was practically February.

In Faith’s view, there should be an amnesty on the requirement to repeat this nonsensical mantra beyond January the first. Change of fortune didn’t happen with the turn of page on a calendar; it happened without ceremony, and often without warning. The best anyone could hope for was that they chose the fork in the road and it didn’t choose them.

Faith allowed Ella to lead the way to the kitchen and watched her crane her neck as she passed the sitting room. Nick had abandoned his shoes in front of the chair where he’d taken them off the night before.

‘I’ve made coffee if you’d like one.’

‘Water’s fine,’ Ella said, taking a glass from the cupboard and filling it with filtered water from a jug in the fridge. ‘You kept it quiet about the holiday. Where did you go?’

Faith closed the kitchen door and sat down at the breakfast table to face her second cross-examination in as many days. ‘Las Vegas.’

‘Not a cruise then?’ Ella asked pleasantly. She remained standing with her back resting against the counter. One foot was crossed casually over the other, but her stance was hardly relaxed. She tried again. ‘Did you go with anyone?’

‘Yes, I did.’

They smiled at each other.

‘OK, I have to ask. Is that someone else’s car parked outside?’

‘Yes.’

Ella really wasn’t any good at this, but then she didn’t need to be. She had already been fed some of the answers. Faith hadn’t told Ella about the holiday, but she had asked Mr Newton to watch over the house while she was away, and presumably his beady little eye had remained trained on her property ever since. He would have seen not only the car but the driver too, and Faith wouldn’t be surprised if photographs had been bundled into a brown envelope and passed to Derek’s embittered ex-wife and thence to Ella.

As amusing as the game was, Faith was hungover and she had no interest in shooting the messenger. ‘His name’s Nick,’ she said. ‘I’ll have to invite you over to dinner some time so you can meet him.’

‘Gosh, it must be serious if you’re ready to introduce him to the family. That’s wonderful news.’

Faith pulled her cup of coffee towards her. ‘We’re living together.’

‘Here?’

‘Naturally. You were right about this house being too big for one person.’

‘But I thought …’ Ella pursed her lips and checked her emotions. ‘Does this mean you’re not selling?’