‘But he didn’t?’

‘I was asked to dinner several times. His second wife sat and glared at me the whole time, but Olympia was always nice. We got quite friendly. After that my father sent me a cheque from time to time.’

‘Did he help you buy the shop?’

‘No, that was money I inherited from my mother’s father. I was able to buy the lease and some stock.’

‘Your father could have afforded to help you. He ought to have stood up to that woman.’

‘You mean his wife? Do you know her?’

‘And detest her. As do most people. Of course she was determined to keep you out. My poor girl. You never stood a chance.’

‘I guess I know that now. But at the time I thought I could win him over by doing well, learning languages, passing exams, being as Italian as possible.’

Marco was growing interested in her strange upbringing. He suspected it had moulded her into an unusual person.

‘Did you really think I was a bailiff?’ he asked curiously.

‘For a moment.’ She gave a gruff little laugh. ‘You’d think I’d know how to recognise them by now. I keep thinking things will get better-well, they do. But then they get bad again.’

‘But why? That shop should be a gold-mine. Your stock is first-rate. It’s true, you made a mistake about the necklace, but-’

‘I did not make-never mind. Sometimes I get on top of the figures, but then I see this really beautiful piece that I just have to have, and bang go all my calculations.’

‘Why not just sell up?’

‘Sell my shop? Never. It’s my life.’

He ran up a flag. ‘There’s more to life than antiques.’

She shot it down. ‘No, there isn’t.’

‘You seem very sure of that.’

‘It’s not just antiques, it’s-it’s the other worlds they open up. Vast horizons were you can see for thousands of years-’