And yet … when he lay awake in the ornate four-poster in the turret bedroom, he could not help feeling a thrill that she was so close to him, just a minute away, lying in her own room at Wavecrest Cottage. Memories of holding her close, of summer evenings in the dunes, in his old car flooded back to him when he heard the waves crashing on the rocks below the house and the gulls crying as they wheeled around the tower. He’d missed those sounds, the tang of ozone on the air. He’d missed Porthmellow, missed Sam.

Now she was so near and yet so far away …

‘Mr Mathias?’

‘Yes?’ He turned, with an energy coursing through him that must have shown on his face because the agent was beaming. ‘I see you’ve been having a better look around. Wonderful space, isn’t it? Especially for someone with your vision.’

‘It has potential, yes,’ he said politely.

‘So, you’re definitely interested in taking up the lease or putting in an offer on the premises?’

Gabe smiled. ‘I need to think about it. I’m seeing a couple of other places while I’m down here.’ That was a lie, but he didn’t feel guilty. The agent was good at her job and probably guessed he was bluffing.

‘That’s no more than we’d expect. I’ll give you some time to think it over and be in touch soon, if that’s OK?’

‘Fine,’ Gabe said.

After she’d answered a couple of his questions, she left him outside the restaurant. Gabe lingered on the quayside for a moment, and out of the corner of his eye he spotted a couple of young women nudging each other and holding up their phones. The podgy trawlerman had also clocked him and nudged his fisherman mate.

Ignoring them, Gabe decided to head back to the house, half hoping and half dreading to bump into Sam on the way. He hadn’t got more than a few steps when Evie Carman called out to him. She wheeled her roller towards him so Gabe hurried over himself. It was clear she now struggled with her mobility and he was saddened by that. She’d always been such a bundle of energy.

‘Oh, my word. It’s you. You’re so big!’ She threw her arms around him.

He couldn’t help but laugh as he returned the hug, momentarily transported back to the days when he was a teenager. Despite her arthritis, her smile and the glint in her eye were undimmed.

‘You’re handsome too,’ she said, her Cornish accent as strong as ever.

‘You’ll embarrass me,’ said Gabe, noting faces watching them.

‘Oh, go on. You can live with it. How’re you doing?’

‘Good. How about you?’