My God! Aren’t you the chap who was confident everything would work out like a dream? No chance of unhappiness, not with you looking after her?’ Asking James if he knew where Tess was because he seemed to have lost her, was bound to cause a furious eruption. It was precisely what he’d expected. Ratty let him have his rant, then lunged in when James took a breath. ‘Did you hear from her, yesterday? Today?’ Fresh heights of outrage emanated from the phone. ‘Don’t you think I might have mentioned it?’ ‘Not necessarily.’ He stretched wearily and listened to the joiner and his mate knocking, upstairs. Apart from the unavoidable hammering and chopping, they worked in awed – or disgusted – silence. So much damage, no explanation. He’d shut himself in the sitting room with the telephone. ‘... It was you, Mr Five Houses, who said you’d always be fair ...’ ‘I also suggested you didn’t comment on my behaviour! Listen ... just a minute ...
