“Did she resign?” Cherry asked. “No, Dr. Fairall fired her. Zelda left here under a cloud. Sort of mysterious. I never found out exactly."

Formerly known as toxaemia, pre-eclampsia is a condition in pregnancy that leads to high blood pressure in the mother.

And the someplace else was of little concern to the traveling salesman as well, because for him everywhere was someplace else and this was just another stop between a someplace and an elsewhere.

Meanwhile, I'm catering for Verity's fifth birthday party on the same day at 2 p.m. – am up to my armpits tonight in honey joys and chocolate crackles! I also have to bake a mermaid cake!