Now that we’d had the charcoal drawing framed it was time to get it valued. We also wondered if the two shabby books that the artist had given us were worth anything.

While we waited our turn to be served at the auction house I examined the fine art that adorned the walls. Our own acquisition was very modern in comparison to these antiques in oil by long-dead masters. Our picture was a recent present from the artist himself. Though elderly, he was still very much alive and active on the art scene. The longer we waited in the show room, the more time I had to convince myself that this trip was a complete waste of time.

I was wrong. The small, dumpy woman who assessed the canvas declared it to be worth at least £75 per square inch. The books excited her even more. They were extremely rare and valuable. Did we have access to the rest of the collection? If so, this would be a great investment for the future.