‘Me? Yes, I do, thank you,’ I said warily, afraid that, after the ticket hustle, he had me pegged as a sucker and was hoping to offload a used car onto me.

‘A big one?’ he pressed.

‘Now, now, Patrick,’ said Stan gently, ‘we don’t have to get into parking right away. There’s plenty of time for that.’

Patrick frowned. ‘Best to be clear from the start, Stan. We don’t want a repeat of Angela and the Frontier Comanche fiasco, do we?’ This question was, for some reason, addressed to me.

‘Ooh, now, I haven’t actually met Angela. Is she here?’ I asked, looking anxiously over my shoulder, lest the woman herself should be listening in.

‘Her nephew and his wacky-baccy mate lived in that behemoth outside my house for a month. A month,’ Patrick repeated, his eyes widening and locking onto mine, clearly desperate for me to join in and acknowledge the full horror of the situation. ‘Angela said the smell was Marks and Spencer potpourri.’ He laughed scornfully. ‘As if.’

‘I’m not sure I actually know what a Frontier Comanche is,’ I said uncertainly, looking around the group. ‘Is it a camper van?’

‘It’s a ruddy juggernaut, that’s what it is,’ snapped Patrick. ‘Outside my house. For a month. With a drug lord in it.’

‘I think Angela said the boys were trainee accountants, Patrick,’ said Stan. ‘It was only for a week or so,’ he continued quietly, leaning towards me and shaking his head, ‘while the boys tried to find a flat. Although, I can see how it might have been annoying for you, Patrick,’ he added in a placatory tone.

‘Couldn’t park my own car outside my own house,’ he seethed.

‘Well, you’re safe with me. I’ve only got a Mini and there’s barely room for a travel mug in that, let alone a meth lab,’ I said, with a light laugh.

Everyone joined in, apart from Patrick, who instead muttered something about thieving bastard accountants under his breath.

‘Getting to know everyone, Edie?’ asked Giles, now, to my huge relief, joining the group and handing me a perilously full glass of wine, from which I immediately took a large gulp. He raised his own glass in the air. ‘Cheers, everyone. How are we all?’

Positive murmurs followed, before June said, ‘I’ve explained to everyone that Edith is not your cousin, Giles.’

‘Oh,’ said Giles, blinking a little, ‘well, that’s… good.’

‘So lovely that a young woman, to whom you are not related,’ she said with emphasis, looking around the circle, ‘is living in your house. With you. Just the two of you. Together.’

Giles raised his glass and his eyebrows. ‘Hmm.’

‘Yes, I’m really enjoying lodging with Giles,’ I said, with emphasis.