Aaron sat on for a long time, hoping Alice Nettles – or whatever her name was now – would clear off ASAP.

Chapter Twenty

By ten on Monday morning, Clancy could not wait to exit the Roundhouse. The less than forty-eight hours she’d shared the place with Alice and Hugo felt like a month. Hugo, however, stopped her on her way out. He’d put a little plait in his beard this morning, evidently determined to look anything but mainstream. Clancy was surprised he hadn’t painted daisies and rainbows on the motorhome.

‘May I see the accounts of Roundhouse Row? Alice said it’s OK,’ he mumbled so quietly that Clancy was pretty sure Alice had said no such thing. Accounts went to Alice via her solicitor so if she wanted Hugo to read them, she could show him herself.

Clancy dodged the bullet by replying, ‘Aaron has them, I’m afraid.’ Clancy had them too, but Hugo didn’t need to know that. She paused, unease suddenly making her stomach feel hollow in case Alice, despite showing no inclination so far, at some time decided to take over the Roundhouse Row reins. If she did, there would be nothing to keep Clancy in Nelson’s Bar.

Except Aaron … And who knew where things were going with him? One fantastic night together and then all the things that had stood between them in the past had returned with a vengeance. Or Alice had, which was the same thing.

‘But—’ began Hugo, frowning blackly.

The front door knocker clattered and Clancy was pleased to have an excuse to interrupt him. ‘I’d better see who that is.’ She made a beeline for the front door before Hugo had a chance to complete his sentence. There she found Genevieve, a square white box in her hands.

‘Oh,’ they said in unison.

Genevieve recovered herself first. ‘Sorry to bother you,’ she said stiffly, ‘I’d like to see Alice, please. I’ve made her a cake to welcome her back to the village.’

Clancy debated whether it was worth seizing the opportunity to try and sweeten things between her and Genevieve but, as if reading her mind, Genevieve dashed the hope. ‘Look, I don’t want to be awkward but I really would appreciate it if you’d get your cousin.’

‘Come in.’ Clancy led Genevieve indoors, where Alice and Hugo’s possessions still cluttered the floor. ‘This is Hugo, Alice’s husband. Hugo, Genevieve’s come to see Alice. They knew each other when Alice lived here before.’ Then she made good her escape to do the gardens of the holiday cottages, taking tools with her from the Roundhouse shed.

There was little breeze for once and though the sky was overcast, she was soon sweating as she trimmed shrubs, tamed climbers and mowed lawns. With no inclination to return to the Roundhouse, she worked right through lunch, swatting away bugs as her mind circled dismally over the past couple of days. If Alice didn’t take over the reins then Clancy could be stuck sharing with her and Hugo indefinitely.