She would talk to William the next time he called. Although mostly she let him do all the getting in touch (she was horribly old-fashioned), now she sent him a text to say that Helena was coming for coffee but that she probably wouldn’t stay past ten or eleven. Helena, she realised, now kept builders’ hours which meant she started early.

When Helena breezed through the back door a little later, Gilly’s mother’s heart soared with joy to see her daughter so happy. But a part of her was doubtful. She had had that madly-in-love glow herself when she had first been with her now ex-husband.

‘Oh, Mum!’ said Helena. ‘You’ve made real coffee. Are there B & B guests here?’

Gilly laughed. ‘Do I only make coffee when I’ve got paying guests?’

‘Well, you know. But I’m not complaining. And shortbread! I’ve just had breakfast but I’m still starving for some reason.’

‘I can’t imagine what that would be,’ muttered Gilly, smiling to herself. ‘So how did World of Wool go? As successful as ever?’

‘Pretty much,’ said Helena, blowing crumbs. ‘Everyone loved my wall hangings. Not enough to actually buy them of course – after all, at do’s like that people make their own wall art – but I’m going to run workshops showing how to make them so they will have been worthwhile.’

‘It was worth doing them then. After all, courses are the gift that goes on giving. You can only sell a wall hanging once.’ Gilly didn’t join her daughter in eating the shortbread, she was a bit sick of it.

‘Deffo. But, Mum, the best bit was when I came home!’

‘Really?’ Gilly was fairly confident that Helena wasn’t going to give her a kiss-by-kiss account of her nocturnal exploits but she was just slightly anxious.

‘You know I have to keep coming round here to have a proper bath?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, Jago spent the whole weekend putting a proper tub into the bathroom that just had a shower in it. It was amazing! He’d cooked the most brilliant chicken tagine and then he made me wait downstairs until the pinger went. Then I had to go upstairs and he led me into the bathroom. He’d put candles everywhere and some gorgeous lavender bath oil and it was lovely.’

‘Oh, darling, how thoughtful! You’re absolutely sure he’s not gay?’

‘Yes! But it meant he’s now behind with his work and he was so brilliant when I was working so hard, doing all the cooking and stuff, I’m determined to do the same for him.’ She paused and made a face. ‘But the trouble is, he’s a brilliant cook and I’m not. I’m hoping you can give me some foolproof recipes.’

‘Of course I can. And you can cook perfectly well; you just lack confidence.’