They’d walked far enough around the headland now to have passed the B&B and be circling back towards his side of the village, looking out over the ocean. The light was leaving the sky and the sea deepening to an oily blue-grey. Clancy drew to a halt, turning so that they were facing each other, and let out a breath. ‘When you asked what would happen if the business went bust you made me think,’ she admitted, with a wry smile. ‘I came to the village full of anger that I’d been treated badly. I felt betrayed. It felt almost too big to cope with. I clung to my pain and saw everything through the lens of righteous outrage. I thought Nelson’s Bar would be a convenient place to exist until I knew what to do next. I didn’t expect to like it here. Love it, even: the cliffs, the sunsets, the quirky people. I hadn’t expected to revel in the freedom from twelve-hour days, from my brain feeling as if it would burst if I forced one more piece of legislation into it, even while knowing that that was exactly what I had to do. Even so—’ her voice became husky ‘—my feelings about Will were in chaos. The switch from him being my fiancé to being Renée’s lover was too sudden and violent. I didn’t want to love him any more, he didn’t deserve me to – but I was scared in case somewhere inside me I did. I didn’t want to feel love or loyalty to my erstwhile colleagues either.’

She turned to gaze back at the village, the huddle of cottages turning to silhouettes in the dusk. ‘So, I didn’t let go of my anger. I told myself it was satisfying to know I’d left those who’d hurt me in a difficult situation. Then, finally, I realised my anger was hurting myself more than it was hurting them. It was preventing me from really moving on. Even though I told myself I was starting my new life, I wasn’t quite.’

Seagulls had come to wheel and call above them, the wind rising, rustling along the clifftops in the dusk. She turned back to him and smiled. ‘So I’ve agreed that Renée can buy out my half of the apartment and that Will, Asila, Monty and Tracey can buy me out of the business. It hasn’t been a particularly fun week but I feel lighter for putting down all the negative stuff. It was scary though. I was quite glad of Harry and Rory to think about at times.’ Her fingers squeezed his and he found himself squeezing back.

‘It was scary leaving your life behind?’ He tried to put himself in her shoes and understand. Not be jealous that her old life had been exciting and vital.

She looked surprised. ‘No, that was just … process. Agreements to reach.’

A feeling burst over him. Maybe it was hope. But she’d left half-answered the most important question, so far as he was concerned. ‘So what about when you saw Will?’