Thea offered the apple peel to Lara, who took it gracefully and laid it on the floor. ‘Hangovers make me want to shoot myself.’ She picked up the apple peel and said briskly, ‘Now, I should really have an early night, if I want to get all the pictures taken tomorrow. Can I make you coffee, or tea, or anything?’

Rory shook his head. ‘I’ll just take my broken heart to bed and sulk.’

‘You don’t have a broken heart and good things come to those who wait.’

‘That sounds very like a promise to me.’

Thea bit her lip guiltily. It did indeed sound like a promise. ‘You don’t actually know that going to bed with me would be good.’

‘Woman, that seems like a challenge. I’ve a good mind to carry you off and ravish you.’

Thea laughed. The joy of Rory was that he could be sexy without being threatening. ‘Oh, what care I for your goose feather bed …’ she sang merrily.

‘You’ll find out soon.’

‘I’m looking forward to it, Rory, but I have to feel ready.’

‘That’s all right. It’s just as well I’m not a raw lad who can’t control his passions.’

‘Away with you and your passions! I’ll see you in the morning.’

The photography went well. The weather obliged and Rory took time off from his horse to help her drag the work in and out of the shed. When the major paintings were done, he said, ‘I’ve got a whole lot of drawings in the loft of the cottage. Would you like to have a look at them, too?’

‘I’d love to, but I’ve run out of film.’

‘There’s no need to photograph them. If anyone’s remotely interested they can come and see them for themselves.’

Thea sensed his pessimism. Rory was by no means the first artist she had known who was arrogantly confident about his work one minute, defensive and apologetic the next. ‘I know there’s a lot riding on this for you and I can’t promise you anything, but I do think that eventually cream will rise to the top.’

‘God, I hope you’re right. Now, would you consider a little dalliance on the sofa in the studio? I’ve had the stove going all day and it’s warm as toast in there. Susan would never know a thing about it.’

Now why, wondered Thea, should Rory worry about that? She smiled and pushed him away. ‘I bought the most wonderful lamb chops yesterday. I thought I’d make you a chocolate sponge pudding for afters. Would you like that?’

‘You’re a hard woman, Thea, but I’ll wait for you a little longer if you cook for me in the meantime.’