At least unpacking parcels would take her mind off Alain’s stubborn refusal to have anything to do with the pods. She didn’t, of course, have any intention of dragging Nigel over here when she was quite capable of making a decision herself. She’d only suggested it in the hope that Alain would change his mind. But she could really do with a second opinion before she committed to spending a large sum of Nigel’s money. She’d been hoping that Alain would agree to accompany her and she’d be able to change his opinion about the pods. She’d see if Fern would like to go with her instead, they could make a day of it, have lunch up on the coast.

It took Belinda a couple of hours to unpack and put the contents of two of the boxes away in the cottage. Knowing that the hotels back in the UK all had surplus equipment stacked away, it had made sense to make use of it rather than buy new. Bed linen, towels, pillows, cushions, cutlery, electric kettle, crockery – Nigel had sent everything she’d itemised to make the cottage as comfortable as possible.

She smiled as she unpacked the third box, a bean-to-cup coffee machine that was surplus to requirements in one of the hotels. She’d enjoy using that while she was living here.

She was up in the bedroom at the front of the house making up the bed when she heard footsteps on the stairs.

‘Who’s this for?’ Alain asked, appearing in the doorway.

‘Me. I told you that as soon as the place was clean and user-friendly I intended to move in. More convenient to be on site and it saves Nigel some money.’ Expertly she did the last hospital corner on the bottom sheet before reaching for the duvet cover and shaking it out flat on the bed. ‘While you’re here, you can give me a hand putting this on.’ Not giving him the chance to refuse, she handed him a corner of the duvet and began to push the opposite corner up into the cover with its pretty red poppy design.

Without a word, Alain did as she asked, although she could almost feel the tension emitting from him as he worked. It was a strangely intimate thing to be doing with a man she barely knew, she realised, before pushing the errant thought away.

‘Thanks,’ she said, reaching for a pillow and slipping it into a pillowcase. ‘Did you want me for something?’

‘I come with you to look at the pods. Let me know which day.’

Belinda looked at him, surprised. ‘You’ve changed your mind? Okay. I’ll ring the site and book an appointment,’ Belinda said, longing to ask him why he’d changed his mind, but Alain had already turned away and was going downstairs.