‘No, of course not!’ said Joyce, horrified that Roz would think such a thing.

‘Then what are you going to do?’ said Roz simply.

Joyce released the handle and sat back down, her head in her hands. ‘I don’t know, I wasn’t thinking.’

‘Too right you weren’t,’ said Roz. ‘I’m in this charade up to my neck; if I don’t see it through it will have all been for naught. Let me do things my way and I might come out of this unscathed. I’ll deal with Mabel when she gets here.’ She glanced at Adele. ‘You’re right in one way, because whether Mabel agrees with me or not, she’s a good friend, and friends stick by each other.’

They had seemed such simple words at the time she said them but now, as Roz made her way to Mercer Court, telling Mabel suddenly didn’t seem to be as easy as it sounded, because even if Mabel did forgive her, Roz couldn’t forgive herself. It had been different with Adele, because whilst she liked Felix very much, she knew how much it had hurt Roz to carry out the plan. Knocking tentatively against the door to Mabel’s house, she smiled as she heard Mabel’s familiar voice calling for her to enter.

‘Long time no see!’ said Mabel, sliding down from the bench next to the cooker.

‘Too long,’ agreed Roz, adding, ‘you look fabulous – I can see Heulwyn’s hearty food is giving you a waistline.’

‘She could feed the five thousand, that one,’ agreed Mabel. Indicating that Roz should take a seat by the table, she put the kettle on to boil before asking the question which Roz feared the most. ‘How’s Felix, and why didn’t you mention him in your letter? Or, to put it another way, just what aren’t you telling me?’

Roz’s jaw dropped. ‘What makes you so sure I’m holding out on you?’

Mabel quirked an eyebrow. ‘You’re trying to tell me you’re not?’

Roz took a deep breath before letting it all out with a whoosh. ‘You know me too well, Mabel Johnson.’

Mabel nodded wisely. ‘I do, and that’s why I’ve been so worried. You wouldn’t keep quiet unless something was really wrong, so is it Felix?’

Roz ran a nervous tongue over her bottom lip before answering, ‘Not exactly.’

Seeing the look of impending doom written all over her friend’s face concerned Mabel greatly. ‘Roz, what on earth has happened?’

Looking miserable, Roz told her everything. By the time she had finished, she was too ashamed to look her friend in the eye.

‘Oh golly,’ sighed Mabel, ‘this really is a rough row to hoe.’

‘Do you think I’m horrid?’ said Roz, still hanging her head in shame.

‘No!’ snapped Mabel, adding, a little more softly, ‘I think your heart’s in the right place, maybe a little misguided, but your intentions are good.’