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see that Crawford Arrowsmith would be one whit bothered whether she was happy or not. Ever since that first day she had come into contact with him it seemed to her he had gone out of his way to make her feel miserable. That kiss hadn’t been designed to cheer her up either. But she decided against telling Janet how wrong she was, and the two of them got down to discussing the remaining items Janet had left till last.
    Back in Little Layton and in bed that night, Gerry tried to relax. Everything was now back to normal. She didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn in the morning and coax the A35 to London. With luck she should get another two hours’ sleep. She felt tired enough to need it —didn’t know when she had ever felt more tired—and yet sleep eluded her.
    She looked across to the other bed, the beam of moonlight showing up Teddy’s blonde head, turning her hair to wisps of silver as it spread over her pillow. Poor Teddy, she’d had an awful time. Was she right in thinking Teddy was starting to get over her grief at losing Mark? She hoped so.
    Her thoughts drifted on to thoughts of Crawford Arrowsmith. She didn’t want to think of him, would rather think of someone else, but he just wouldn’t go away. She recalled the touch of his mouth, warm against her own. His kiss had been in no way passionate—but it hadn’t been the sort of kiss one gave one’s maiden aunt either. She turned silently in her bed as if to turn her back on thoughts of him, but that didn’t keep him out of her mind. If it wasn’t for fear of disturbing the twins, she’d go and make herself a warm drink, she thought, but even the action of movement was denied her, and she was forced to lie still and battle to oust Crawford Arrowsmith from her thoughts.
    I must sleep with one ear cocked, she mused the next morning when Emma crying in the next room roused her from sleep. She had lain awake ages last night and had no idea what time it had been when sleep had finally claimed her. Teddy was still sleeping solidly when she climbed out of bed to go and quieten Emma. It was as well for Teddy to have as much rest as she could, once her day started there would be no stopping until she was able to put the twins down for their nap.
    ‘And what’s the matter with you, young lady?’ Gerry whispered to the bright-eyed Emma.
    Emma answered in what could have been Hindustani for all the sense her aunt could make of it. But the way she held up her arms to be picked up could not be mistaken. Gerry nursed her over her hip as she took her into the kitchen and filled the kettle. Sarah, blonde like her mother, was still asleep, and Emma was as sweet as a little angel as she snuggled up to her dark-haired aunt.
    ‘Why didn’t you wake me?’
    Gerry looked up to see a yawning Teddy in the doorway. The tea was made and she had just poured two cups. ‘I was going to bring you a cup,’ she said in answer.
    ‘Thank the Lord we’re back to normal! If your boss has any more bright ideas, tell him what he can do with them.’
    Teddy’s suggestion had infinite appeal, Gerry thought as she drove into Layton. But with luck, he wouldn’t have any more bright ideas. Then suddenly thoughts of Crawford were forced to take a back seat, for the A35 began to act strangely, and with a groan, and an exclamation of, ‘Oh no—it can’t be!’ Gerry pulled into the side of the road, quickly got out of the car, and saw she had a puncture. If she’d been the weeping sort, she thought, she would have sat right down on the side of the kerb and howled her eyes out—she felt defeated somehow, and experienced the same tired feeling that had beset her in the bath on Monday night when she had given way to a few tears without knowing it. Trying to pull herself together, she stood and looked and looked at the offending tyre as if hoping by some magic the tyre would inflate itself and be all right again.
    Now what am I going to do? she muttered. She had a spare wheel in the