Teresa had been brought up to take wealth for granted. It was part of the dream world she lived in that for years she had believed herself in love with Randal. His marriage to Beth Teviot came as a bitter blow at a bad time. The death of Teresa's father had left her penniless, ill-equipped to face reality and the immediate need to earn a living.

Too proud to accept help or pity, she left London for Suffolk where she had spent idyllic holidays as a child. An impulsive move but one which was eventually to turn out so very right.