‘Thank you, but I can manage,’ Kitty said, rather more sharply than she’d intended, but she didn’t want to feel beholden to him for anything, not even something as small as him lifting her case on to the rack. Now she knew he’d wanted someone else to accompany him on this trip, she vowed to keep her distance, or at least as much as possible, given they would be travelling together in the same small compartment of the carriage.

Frank showed no outward reaction to her refusal but inside he was seething. So she thought he wasn’t capable even of putting a case on a rack. It wasn’t as if he’d lost an arm, but she had to make her point. She still saw him as someone who was lacking in some way, and he was lesser in her eyes for it. Just when he’d thought they might be getting closer again – but no, he’d got that completely wrong. He’d misread her face in the firelight at New Year. It had been a trick of the light, not a softening towards him. Well, two could play at that game.

‘Very well,’ he said, settling himself opposite her, as for once they had the space to themselves. ‘I take it that you have your copy of the agenda for tomorrow?’

‘Naturally,’ said Kitty brusquely, reaching for her handbag, which she’d left on the floor. ‘It’s right here. Shall we go through it now?’

‘That’s just what I had in mind,’ said Frank. ‘We should make sure we’re properly prepared. I don’t want any of the London bigwigs to think we’re in any way inferior to them just because we are based in Liverpool.’

‘I should say not,’ said Kitty vehemently. ‘Well, then. Here we are. We’d best be quick as we don’t want to do this in front of any other passengers who may join us. Right, item one.’