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“Neither does she,” Jem said, nodding at Carys. “But you’d let her help.”

Ellie looked at Mo, who nodded furiously. This was their best solution. And it wasn’t like Jem would have to do anything difficult. She’d just turn up and smile. Even she could do that. And… And it was nice of her to offer. Strangely nice. Nice in a way that Ellie hadn’t expected her to be.

“You don’t have to,” Ellie said.

“I want to,” said Jem. She flushed slightly. “I mean, I’d like to help. Consider it an apology for the way I behaved at the Walthambridge the other day.”

“You’re sure?” asked Ellie.

“Unless you don’t trust me to do it.”

Ellie looked at Mo again and they nodded again. “Okay, thank you. It’s nice of you to offer. I’ll get you the address of the venue.”

ELLIE WAS SO full of canapes and tiny pieces of cake that she thought she might explode. She was stepping out of the second caterers and was deciding whether to head back to the office or call it quits and head home when her phone rang.

“Emergency,” Jem said.

Ellie’s heart started to beat fast. “What kind of emergency?”

“Well, there’s an ambulance here so…”

“Jesus, I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Ellie said, stepping out into the street to flag down a taxi.

She could see blue lights flashing in the distance as the cab screeched around a corner. She shoved a twenty pound note at the driver, not bothering to wait for a receipt as she fell out of the taxi.

Jem greeted her in the lobby of the small community center, her face pale and something that looked suspiciously like vomit on her plain, black dress. “It’s Armani,” was the first thing shesaid.

“Is that a kind of food poisoning?” Ellie asked.

“The dress,” Jem said faintly. “I meant the dress.”

“Ellie, dear, I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Cohen came rushing out of a door. “I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Ellie asked, trying to take everything in and wondering just what the hell had happened here.

“It’s not your fault,” Mrs. Cohen said, her face red and her hands fluttering. “And besides, it’s all going to be alright. The ambulance men said it’s just a precaution.”

“What’s a precaution?” asked Ellie, her own heart starting to beat faster now.

“The hospital, obviously,” Mrs. Cohen said.

“But… what?”

Jem put a hand on Ellie’s arm. “There was an allergic reaction to the cake,” she said quietly. “One of the kids went into anaphylactic shock.”

“The mother didn’t warn us,” Mrs. Cohen broke in, close to tears. “I had no idea.”

“Just one child?” Ellie asked.

Jem nodded.

“And they’re going to be alright?”

Jem nodded again.

Ellie let out a breath. “Alright, okay, that’s unfortunate, obviously, but everything’s in hand now and the child’s going to be fine. And Mrs. Cohen, we have to think about Rachel’s day. Is she alright?”

“Fine, fine,” Mrs. Cohen said.