They had promised to catch up for a "ladies' lunch" many times, and now when they finally met it would be as three instead of four. We leave so many things too late, but it used to feel like we had forever, Jayne thought as she waited for Lucy to arrive. She was meeting Jayne at Aubrey's first as she had an earlier appointment nearby. They could then travel together to the restaurant.

"Isn't Aubrey's flat wonderful!" Lucy said, as she put her umbrella into a carved Victorian stand, and entered the drawing room. "It's as big as a house! Good god, is that Ming?" She browsed around the rooms, looking at Aubrey's many treasures. It was an eclectic collection, ranging from Roman artefacts to Victoriana. 

Jayne left Lucy to enjoy herself while she went a...

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