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‘Nice outdoor table and chairs Tell you what, Rose Let me knohat sort you like You can have breakfast out here, anything, it’s pretty sheltered Not overlooked either’ He climbed on a couple of slabs to look over the fence ‘Not overlooked But you’re not far froet We share a front path Hope we get on’

Harry put his aret on with anybody and everybody, Rosemary Never known anyone so friendly’

It was true One of the best things about her

‘The electrics aren’t finished by the look of things I’ll keep an eye on that, and they haven’t done a second coat on the paintwork’

‘I’ in for another three weeks, Harry Nobody’s ether Wonder if the flats are done?’

‘I’ with a flat? Call it an apartment – see the difference?’

‘There isn’t any – and I don’t care what it’s called, I couldn’t live in one’

‘Good job you won’t have to then This is going to suit you very nicely’

On the other side of Lafferton, Gordon Dyer was spending another day clearing out cupboards Kitchen cupboards, bathroom cupboard, cupboard above the wardrobe, cupboards in the sitting-room wall unit, and then there were the shelves, and then there was the shed He sat down It was cold in the kitchen but the gas had gone up sky-high and even in this snow he didn’t put the heaters on until seven and went to bed at nine, unless there was so he wanted to watch, when he kept it low, put on another ju over hi out a dozen tiain When she went, he had it cleaned and then spread it on the sofa She’d have hated that But then, Greta would have hated a lot of things he’d changed Hated the kitchen table being on the other side and the bed against the wrong wall and the shower he’d had put in and the wallpaper up the stairs and the blue three-piece suite She’d left hiot it fro it away for years He’d gone out and bought all the new stuff for the house and still had just over three thousand left

He looked at the electric-blue sofa She’d have hated it

What she would have said about a uess only too well ‘Poky place’ ‘What would I want to be aarden?’ ‘Why’d they have to name it after royalty? I can’t do with royalty’

Gordon was happy to have his new ho He was pleased with it He needed far less space, he needed neighbours, he needed soht even meet somebody He and Greta had never been ht was too old to find a woht be like

Twelve bungalows One block of four maisonettes and a warden’s flat But Duchess of Cornwall Close still wasn’t quite finished

‘Typical,’ Elinor Sanders said, having to spend the night with her sister Muriel while her furniture went into the depot

‘Stop co You’re lucky to have a place Not that I knohy you bothered co left forperson’s place, all those students, all those out on a Friday night Nothing for anyoneso daft I suppose you want a sherry’

‘Not fussed’

‘Well, do you or not?’

‘Nothing left there at all’

‘I don’t knohat there is for you in Lafferton either’

Elinor looked at the twin sister she had fought with since trying to elbow her out of the shared wo flesh and blood’

Muriel snorted

The sherry brought their ani that at least she had had a husband and spent the evening in silence

‘She’ll be gone in the ot into bed, ‘they’ll get the heating sorted tomorrow, surely to God’

They did By four o’clock Elinor was surrounded by her own chairs and tables in 12 Duchess of Cornwall Close, and at seven, Muriel was drinking her sherry alone

It’s better, Elinor thought, even though the bungaloas so silent, the street outside a traffic-free cul-de-sac, and only a couple of other houses occupied ‘It’s better we live near one another and I won’tin a bedroorave, she did

Two doors away, Ray Hartwell had been asleep since nine Ray had not wanted toto deht The landlady had bribed hiet the council involved but they were not prepared to otiate She had upped the bribe a last tinising a final offer when he saw one, Ray had agreed to ave him somewhere new in a decent area of town and on a subsidised rent Duchess of Cornwall Close was entirely allocated and with a waiting list Ray had threatened to occupy his house while they tore down the walls around hi a petrol can The offer of aday Ray did not like alow A fewround theiven the keys to number 8 as the builders left Number 8 was supposed to have been the warden’s

A leaflet had coh the door, a welcome letter from the warden and a note about activities and facilities that would be available before long

Ray threw it in the plastic carrier bag he used for a bin Activities and facilities did not interest him and he could do without the welcome letter The front-door key had been his welcome

Ray lay on his back and snored and a faint wash of snores even reached Elinor Sanders two doors away and ruffled her sleep so that she turned over and back and one to bed in the knowledge that if she wanted to sleep in she could, though her conscience would not have let her stay in bed beyond eight thirty