‘Both. I just think it’s slightly asking for trouble to have him here, a boy from the back of beyond, with two beautiful girls in the house.’

‘I like him. He’s no trouble. I was thinking we might’ve kept him on, for the apple-picking.’

‘They get stupid, when they think they’re in love.’

‘Who, boys?’

‘Young people. I don’t think it’s a very good idea, Hamish sniffing around Cass again. I thought that was just a fling, last summer.’

‘Seems pretty harmless to me. Anyway, you’re the one who said Stephen could come,’ Nick reminded her.

‘I don’t want anyone to get in a state, that’s all.’

‘The voice of doom.’ Nick went across and hugged his wife.

‘The voice of reason, more like,’ she said, not hugging him back.

Stephen had been despatched to Bruce and Carolyn’s farm to collect new hens as replacements. Cass had gone with him, in theory to show him the way – all those little lanes were impossible to navigate, unless you were a local – but her real motive had been to see Hamish, Stephen supposed. In the event, Hamish hadn’t been there. The daughter was out at the stables.

Carolyn had been more animated than she’d seemed at the Clarkes’ dinner and invited them to stay for lunch. Bruce had appeared just as they were sitting down to eat. Stephen, ever sensitive to the smallest alterations in Cass, felt something like hostility emanate from her towards the man. If this was so, Bruce himself betrayed no sign of being aware of it.

‘What-ho, cobber!’ he said in a bad Australian accent. ‘It’s our friend from down under!’

Stephen smiled politely.

‘Are you a cricketing man, yerself?’ Bruce continued, still imitating the accent. ‘Following the Ashes, at the mo? Bet you didn’t take too kindly to that thrashing at Old Trafford.’

‘I don’t really follow cricket,’ Stephen said.

‘That man Packer wants shooting,’ said Bruce, in his real voice this time.

Stephen thought, not for the first time, how slow English people were to take a hint. Sometimes it was as if they didn’t listen at all. Still, he tried to be polite.

‘My dad says the same thing, if I recall rightly. But, like I say, I don’t follow it myself.’

Bruce looked at Cass, as if to enlist her in the folly of Stephen’s position. But she ignored him and turned to Carolyn instead.

‘Has Hamish gone to collect Lucy? I thought I’d told him we were coming.’

‘No, I think she’s there all day today. He’s … actually I’m not sure where he’s got to.’

‘Oh.’

‘I’d been hoping to say hello to him,’ Stephen interjected, untruthfully. He wanted to cover up Cass’s disappointment. ‘Was going to ask him if he wanted to come to Friday’s disco with us this week.’