Vanessa let them into the building, somehow looking as if she belonged in the Victorian corridors despite the modernity of her blouse and trousers. The flat she let them into was just as Victorian as the building, and her own taste in literature, might have led one to expect. The furniture was mostly antiques, as was most of the decoration as she led him into the lounge. There was a sitting area, a settee and some armchairs around a coffee table, and to one side of the room, a table on which her tarot deck lay. Above it, high up on the wall, hung a Gothic metal cross.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," she told him with a smile, setting her purse down but keeping the bag of fruits to go into the kitchen with. "What sort of tea would you like? I've a decent collection."