Friends who currently weren’t speaking, although perhaps this letter might provide me with some answers …

‘If you say so.’ She pursed her lips mischievously. ‘Now I’m going to take myself back across the yard and batten down the hatches. And if you’ve got any sense, you’ll do the same.’

She refused my offer of help but I opened the door for her and watched her battle against the wind across the yard to Betsy’s before shutting it and swooping down on Jensen’s letter like a starling on a juicy grape.

It had been posted a week ago. My insides clenched: poor man, he must have thought I’d received it and hadn’t cared enough to reply. But by the time I got to the bottom, my own heart was in shreds and tears were dripping down my face. I’d never before received a love letter that doubled up as a ‘goodbye’.