Chloe regretted letting her guard down, but thought she could fudge an excuse. ‘Oh, you know, one thing and another. Go on, get changed before you catch pneumonia.’

Moments later, she had dashed home, where she had a wash and threw on some jeans and a clean top. Drew still hadn’t arrived in the pub when she got there, so she checked her emails, WhatsApp and Facebook while she waited, always harbouring the slim hope that there might be a message from Hannah. There had been no reply at all to her last message of a week before. Then Drew walked in.

Word about his impromptu swim had already spread and there was good-natured banter about mermaids while he waited at the bar with Chloe who insisted on ordering the drinks. She ordered a coffee and a brandy while Drew got a pint and they found a quiet corner in the lounge bar. The wind was still blowing outside and making the old windows rattle whenever anyone opened the door.

‘Warming up?’ she asked as he took a long drink of beer.

‘Just about. Anything for the festival.’

Choe laughed. ‘Even though I organise events for a living I’d no idea a local food festival was so much work or that there were so many things that could go wrong.’

Drew chuckled. ‘You seem to be taking it in your stride. You did solve the problem of us losing the headline chef.’

‘Yes … although sometimes I think that was a mixed blessing, given the history that there obviously is between Gabe and Sam. I would have thought twice if I’d known, or at least asked her first.’

‘Hmm. It’s a bit awkward him being back, but Sam would want to put the festival’s interest above her own problems.’

Chloe was by no means sure about that after the pub, and the glances and heavily loaded comments between Gabe and Sam. ‘Maybe. I’d no idea of how close they were especially as … Look, Drew, tell me to shut up if it’s none of my business, but I once thought that you and Sam might be … well, you know.’

She knew it was a bit cheeky of her to ask about his feelings, but she also hoped to draw him out a little more about the mysterious Caitlin who Sam had mentioned.

Luckily, Drew took the question in good part. ‘Sam’s a lovely person and a lot of fun to be around. We go back years, obviously. I like her a lot and I admire how she held the family together. She went through stuff no one should have to face at her age, but she’s always been one for Gabe.’

‘Even after he left the village?’

‘Yes. I think the torch still burns bright on both sides, no matter what she’s said about him.’