Gina said nothing. She didn’t recall Mr Simmonds being so absent-minded last time.

‘While I’ve got my ledger out, I’ll just remind myself what you brought in last time. Do you remember when that was, Mrs Travers?’

Oh, for goodness’ sake, what does it matter?

He smiled at her kindly and she felt a little mean at her impatience.

‘Early this year,’ she said. ‘Before spring, I think.’

He turned the pages very slowly, beginning right at the start of the year and looking carefully.

‘Here,’ said Gina, reading upside down when he got to the right page.

‘Ah, yes, those pretty earrings. Yes, very good … very good indeed … Now, I’ll just note down all the details of the dishes. They’re not rare but they are in excellent condition. I’ll need to make careful note of this decoration. It’ll take me a few minutes. May I offer you a cup of tea?’

Gina glanced out again at the pouring rain. Her stomach rumbled loudly; she’d been unable to eat the nasty breakfast at the hotel.

‘Yes, please. That would be nice,’ she said, deciding she was here for the morning. And after all, she had nowhere else to go. She just needed the money from the sale of these things.

Mr Simmonds called through to the back, ‘Sadie, a cup of tea for Mrs Travers, my dear, if you will?’

‘Yes, Dad. I’ll put the kettle on.’

‘It won’t be long, Mrs Travers,’ said Mr Simmonds. ‘I’ll just make sure the door won’t blow open. It can do when the wind gets up and it really is raining fast.’ He went over to the door and made a show of securing it.

Gina didn’t notice him flip the ‘Open’ sign to ‘Closed’.

‘Now, I shall note all the details while you just sit there comfortably out of the rain,’ he said, and began to write down everything about the dishes in a very slow longhand.

Sadie brought out a cup of tea and a sugar bowl, then went away and came back with a plate of chocolate digestive biscuits. She put them down in front of Gina with a little wink and went away again and Gina busied herself with stirring sugar into her tea and eating the biscuits.

‘Now, then,’ said Mr Simmonds, glancing outside through the glass in the door. ‘No let-up in this rain, I see. Did you say you have a necklace, too?’

‘Yes, here,’ said Gina, pulling it out of her shopping bag.

She’d just got it arranged on the velvet when there was a noise at the door. Gina turned to see, to her complete astonishment, Ellen rushing in, with Edward and Tom just behind her.

‘Gina! Oh, thank God you’re safe!’ Ellen threw her arms around her sister. ‘Oh, I thought I’d never see you again. We’ve been so worried.’