‘Actually a lovely couple who built a kit house but it looks really nice and they get on well so it all worked out. But poor Mum was beside herself. She had to have hypnotherapy to get through it.’

‘And did that work?’

‘Brilliantly.’ Helena paused and started to get up out of her chair. ‘Thank you so much for the wine and the moan, not to mention the bread and cheese, but I should get back. I have so much work to get through while I still have a space to do it in.’

‘You promised me shortbread. You know builders live on biscuits.’

‘Oh! I’d forgotten. I’ll pop back and get it. It’s still in the car. I usually have to give it away because if I ate all Mum gives me I’d be fat as a pig.’ She laughed. ‘I’ll tell Amy I gave it to you and she’ll be pleased. Mum too.’

‘Why’s that?’

‘Because they’ll think I’m flirting with you, showing normal human behaviour in the presence of a single male. Mind you, we never found out if you are or not.’

‘I am,’ he said quickly. ‘Very single.’

Helena looked at him with a narrow gaze, suddenly aware of how attractive he was.

‘I’m just a man who has no time for romance.’ He said it as if he had no wish to elaborate.

‘Well, there’s something we have in common! Why is it people find it so difficult to accept that one can be perfectly normal but not want to spend time looking for a life partner!’ Helena realised she was just a little bit drunk and her filters were down but she didn’t stop. ‘I don’t want to spend my time on dating apps! I want to be weaving, not swiping left or right, saying yes or no to someone I’ve never met who is bound to be boring. My friends seem to think that I should see every man under seventy as a potential partner.’

He seemed amused. ‘Under seventy? Your friends are tough. I wouldn’t have thought you should look at anyone over about forty myself. Because – how old are you?’

‘Twenty-seven.’

‘Well, make that under thirty-five unless you fancy older men.’

She couldn’t help laughing. ‘I don’t fancy any kind of man – well, I don’t mean that exactly; I do fancy men sometimes but I don’t want to do anything about it. Not just now. I’ve got too much on.’

‘That’s exactly how I feel. I can appreciate a pretty girl or a lovely woman but I’m not going to ask her out. I haven’t time to maintain a relationship. And, like houses, they need maintaining.’

‘And you’re too busy maintaining your property empire,’ said Helena and then hoped it didn’t look as if she was having a dig.