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LYDIA PUT HER stethoscope back into her case and closed it up with a click. “I’d really prefer that you go into hospital,” she said.

“No,” said Paul Farmer. He was looking better, to be fair. His cheeks were pink again and his breathing was better. “I’m feeling alright now. I don’t want to be waiting around until all hours at the hospital. I’ve got a family and a business to run.”

Lydia laughed. “I’m sure that Sophie and Gio can take care of themselves.”

Paul just grunted at this, and it occurred to Sophie for that first time that her father still thought he had to look after his children. He’s spent a long time caring for them alone, she thought. It must be a hard habit to break.

“Well, if you’re sure,” said Lydia. “You’ve got your pills, and if there’s any sign of anything else, I want you to call an ambulance immediately, no waiting for me to get here. Tightness in your chest, trouble breathing, pain in your chest or in your arm, you call nine-nine-nine immediately, is that clear?”

“Clear as glass,” Paul said with a sniff. “I’ll be back at work this afternoon, though. You wait and see.”

Lydia flashed a look at Sophie, who said, “No.”

“What?”

“No, dad,” she said. “You’re having the rest of the day off, at least. If you want to come to the concert tomorrow, then you need to stay home today and get some rest. No arguments. Right, doctor?”

“Sounds fair to me,” said Lydia, with a nod at Sophie.

Paul sniffed again. “Worrying women,” he said, but he was already settling back onto the couch with the remote in his hand. Sophie showed Lydia to the door.

“Is he really alright?” she said.

Lydia sighed. “For now, yes. But he needs tests, a thorough checkup. If you could persuade him to go to the hospital, it’d be far better.”

“I’ll work on it,” Sophie said. She already had a plan. Her dad and Gio would come to see the concert tomorrow and ten-to-one Gio would be in his shiny new car. He practically drove it to the shop at the end of the street. She’d persuade her dad to ride home with them in Gio’s car, and instead they’d take him to the hospital.

Lydia nodded at the plan. “I’ll give the cardiac clinic a ring,” she said. “Make sure they know he’s coming in tomorrow afternoon. Maybe that might speed things up a bit.”

“Right,” said Sophie. “I’ll make sure that he takes his meds and doesn’t do anything too strenuous. Thank you.”

“It’s my job,” Lydia grinned. “And you’re very welcome. A large part of the battle with patients like your dad is getting them to take things seriously. They’ve spent a long time having a stiff upper lip and pretending that nothing is wrong, so getting them to make serious changes is difficult.”

Sophie opened the door to let Lydia out and was more than surprised to see Tilly walking up the garden path.

“I’ll get out of your way,” Lydia said, looking from Tilly to Sophie and then back again before scurrying off.

Sophie gritted her teeth and pulled the front door shut behind her. Tilly wasn’t coming into the house. She couldn’t risk her dad finding out that she was here. “What do you want?” she hissed.

“To talk to you,” said Tilly.

“There’s nothing to say.” Which wasn’t true. There was too much to say, that was more the problem.

“Please, Sophie,” said Tilly. “I just want a few minutes of your time. Let me say my piece and then I’ll go if you want me to, I swear.”

For just a second, Sophie almost said yes. She wanted to hear what Tilly wanted to say. She wanted to be close to her, even if it was just for a minute. She couldn’t help how she felt, even though she knew she shouldn’t feel that way.

Then her dad coughed inside and she shook herself out of her thoughts. “No,” she said shortly.

“Please.” Tilly moved a step closer and Sophie could smell the scent of her, her mouth watering at the warmth of having her so close. “Just a few minutes?”

Sophie bit her lip, then sighed. “Not here, not now,” she said finally.

Tilly’s face lit up. “Okay, where and when?”

“Soph?” her dad called from inside. He sounded whiny, not in pain.

“Tomorrow,” she said hurriedly. “After the concert. Five minutes only.”