‘The house looks bigger than it really is. It’s only one room deep. It’s basically a lean-to with a giant garden. You’ve come at just the right moment, Mum’s out.’

She grinned at him.

In the sitting room, Helena lay on her back across one sofa, Stephen on the other. His legs hung over the end, his feet almost touching the floor. There were a couple of round tables with tall lamps, patterned rugs and plants dotted about the place. There seemed to be an awful lot of cushions.

‘So, what are you going to do?’ she asked him.

‘I’m kind of hoping Nick’ll have me back for the apple-picking. So I guess I’ll do a few day-trips, maybe go up to Oxford on the coach, have a look around. Be great if you came along? And my mum’s friend told me Bath is worth a visit.’

Helena sat up.

‘Stephen, I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s no way Celia is going to let you go back to the farm. Once she goes on the turn, that’s it.’

‘Yeah, but I thought you said it was definite that the crash was the other guy’s fault?’

‘I think it is. But if she decides something, that’s what happens in that family. You must’ve noticed? She’s got the purse, she’s got the power.’

‘Really? She doesn’t look as if she’s even noticing anything. The way she drifts around the place.’

Helena sighed. ‘I’ve known them longer than you and I can tell you it’s not actually quite like that. She comes across all vague and airy-fairy, but she’s bloody wilful. The iron whim, Nick calls it. Georgie’s the only one who’s not scared of her.’

‘Yeah, but if the accident wasn’t even my fault?’

‘Georgie said her mum thought it was “all getting a bit incestuous”. She said the same thing last summer, when Cass started getting serious about Hamish. She managed to break that up by sending Cass off to Italy, supposedly on holiday. By the time she got back Hamish had gone back to school. She does stuff like that. Works behind the scenes to get things how she wants them.’

Stephen knew that Helena was trying to be helpful, but she didn’t know how well he fitted in with the Clarkes, how easily they all got along together. If he could just speak to Georgie, he was sure she’d cajole his way back to them. But he didn’t dare telephone, in case Celia answered. He figured he would have to write to Georgie – and maybe to her parents as well – before he rang the house. But it was surely just a waiting game and then he’d be back.

‘Stephen?’

‘Yeah?’