Would he have been happy with no phone signal? No London salon to trim his hair every four weeks?

She returned to the email, picturing big, comfy Tracey reading it in the little flat she shared with another woman on the Finchley Road. Or maybe she was eating brunch in a pavement café somewhere. Clancy went on. Seeing Will’s wedding pic on Instagram reminded me that I left my wedding dress, veil, shoes etc. with you. I’m sorry if they’ve been in your way. Are you still involved with those causes auctions? Please stick the whole lot in one, if so, and let a charity benefit. She added a kiss to her sign-off feeling somehow lighter, and better disposed towards her old life than she had for some time.

After, as she pushed her shopping trolley around the supermarket aisles, she felt her phone buzz and discovered that Tracey had replied, thrilled to hear from her and hoping they could meet up as soon as Clancy returned to London.

Tracey thought she’d be going back.

Clancy realised she wasn’t thinking in those terms. London already felt as if it belonged in her past. Nelson’s Bar felt like a safe haven.

It was like a wind of change had blown over her. And she welcomed it.

Chapter Twelve

The sun’s fingers reached into the Roundhouse loft to prise up Clancy’s eyelids early on Sunday morning.

She clambered out of bed to yawn at the dormer window. Over the village rooftops she could see a shining blue sea. On impulse, she flung off her nightshirt and wriggled into a green swim suit, shorts and T-shirt, grabbed a towel and set off for Zig-zag Beach. To start the day with a swim felt like a lovely seaside thing to do. She might swing by the B&B after and see if Kaz and Oli would provide a sausage sandwich for breakfast.

She strode up to Marshview Road, enjoying the early sunshine, and took the footpath to the clifftops, invigorated by the briny wind whipping her hair. The first view of the sea was glorious, the sun reflected in fragments on every wave. As she headed for Zig-zag Path, two youthful and familiar figures emerged from the top. The lead figure, Harry, caught sight of Clancy, and veered towards her, Rory following in his footsteps.

‘You jumping?’ Harry called, eyeing the towel beneath her arm.

Rory laughed. Both boys were shivering as they jogged on the spot, water glistening off their bodies, but it didn’t stop them wearing big excited grins.

Clancy glanced in the direction of The Leap, an innocuous enough dip in the clifftop from here. ‘I’ve never jumped off anything like that height. I was just going down to the beach.’

‘It’s awesome, like flying.’ Harry shivered. ‘Just take a run and jump in.’

‘I’ll watch you first,’ she decided, not convinced. She put down her towel and stationed herself at the cliff edge at a point where she could see both run up and leap.