“What’s wrong?” asked Annabel, seeing Jim enter the front door. “You’re not meant to be back yet.”
“Thank you, it’s great to feel so welcome.”
“What happened?”
“They’re corrupt, the lot of them.”
“Why?”
“The Bank Holiday Accord has fallen apart.”
“Oh, Jim.”
“It’s all over the big stretch. They banned the meetings. I didn’t speak at all. I will speak in the capital though.”
“London?”
“No, the capital of the North, Manchester,” Jim looked at Annabel properly for the first time since entering the room. “Are you okay? You don’t look well.”
“I just have a bit of a temperature, that’s all. Olivia is coming.”
“What? When?”
“I’m expecting her now. I was complaining about being left home alone again and so she jumped on a train.”
“I’m sorry, I should have called, but I wanted to surpri
