Clancy lifted her arm to examine fiery pink grazes. ‘I didn’t see him either. Would he really have jumped?’

Aaron nodded, dried grass in his hair. ‘Probably. He jumps with me from a rock beside Zig-zag Beach, but it’s only about six feet. I’ve no idea if he’d have survived that drop.’

‘Might not,’ Harry said philosophically. ‘But you can hold Nelson and we’ll jump in with Clancy—’

‘Better idea.’ Aaron rolled to his feet, brushing grass off his backside, still breathing hard. ‘Nobody jumps but I’ll buy you all breakfast at the B&B.’

Clancy groaned as she accepted Aaron’s hand to pull her upright. ‘I’ve kind of lost my mojo for the sea today anyway.’

‘OK.’ Harry and Rory fell in with the idea cheerfully, drying themselves before pulling their clothes back on – severely ripped skinny jeans and ugly T-shirts.

Kaz was able to provide four full English breakfasts and soon they were all tucking into tasty sausages and thick-cut bacon with eggs that were crispy at the edges, just as Clancy liked them. Their host didn’t seem as smiley as usual and Clancy wondered whether it was anything to do with Oli’s reception at the bank. Kaz didn’t mention it though, and Clancy felt she couldn’t ask.

Aaron was just telling her of his bravado when he’d first jumped The Leap himself, for a dare, when she noticed his attention wander and checked behind herself to see what he was looking at.

‘Cosy!’ Rory whispered at the same time, which made Harry turn and look too.

Genevieve had come to sit at another table with a man. He had his back to them but Clancy wouldn’t have been able to see his face anyway – he had Genevieve stuck to it.

Clancy turned quickly back, glancing at Aaron. ‘Oh.’ She hesitated, trying to read his expression. ‘Is this painful?’ she murmured.

His eyebrows were up in his hairline but he smiled. ‘Just unexpected.’

Harry and Rory had wolfed their food already and were studying the throbbing graze on Clancy’s elbow admiringly. ‘Bet that proper burns,’ said Harry. ‘Thanks for brekkie, Aaron.’

‘Thanks,’ Rory echoed, then the two jogged off across the headland, apparently ready for the day’s next adventure.

Aaron shook his head ruefully. ‘Harry’s crazy. Bored to tears, obviously, and ripe for any mischief.’ Then he took Clancy’s arm in his tanned hands, turning it gently to scrutinise the graze. ‘You ought to get the grit washed out of that.’

Gingerly, she took her arm back. ‘I’ll go home for a shower.’

Aaron sat back with the big mug of tea that had come with breakfast. ‘I’m going to Keelmarsh House along the coast later this morning. Fancy coming? I’ve got permission to take photos of the knot garden I’ve been creating for my website. You could pose as a visitor to the hall, reading in the arbour or drifting artily along the pathways.’

‘That would be fun,’ Clancy said, thinking of a drive along the coast road and the chance to see how the other half lived. ‘At IsVid we were always acting as extras for client videos.’