‘Yes, it is.’ Prue took the mug of coffee from Madi’s hands and they sat down at the small kitchen table.

‘So, are you back to stay? I can always head home early myself, if that helps.’

‘That hardly seems fair, especially if being here is proving good for your health. And I hear you’re up to something with young Donny?’

‘Hah, yes! The boy was keen to put on a show in the village hall and thought I might be able to help, but I won’t be around as it comes to fruition, will I? No, I’ve been happy to start things off, but I’ve already passed the reins to Tom. The poor man needed a project, something to do …’

‘Funny you should say that, because I’ve sort of started something back in London too, and it looks like I’ll have to hand it over to someone else if it’s ever likely to get finished.’

‘Oh? Now I am intrigued.’

‘It’s the garden at the back. If you can call it that.’

‘Oh, yes, it is a bit of a mess, isn’t it?’

‘Exactly. So I had this idea to make it into something more …’

‘More like this?’ Madi said, gesturing towards the garden through the kitchen window.

‘Well, yes, I suppose so. A decent lawn, a paved area, some flowers, something to be enjoyed and shared rather than just tolerated or used as a place to have a smoke! Perhaps I was being too ambitious. It’s not really my place to start changing anything, is it? I don’t live there, and I won’t be the one living with it in the future, but I do like something to get my teeth into, and I figured you like flowers by the beautiful tulips you left in the bedroom, so it felt like a way of paying you back. A surprise for you when you got back. Not that it will be now. And something with some scents and textures to it, you know, for Suzy downstairs … but I’d hate to step on anyone’s toes, and I already seem to have annoyed the hell out of Stan.’

‘Who hasn’t?’ Madi laughed. ‘There are some people you can never please. Born grumpy, that one.’

‘I suppose so. Anyway, now I’m back here I don’t suppose I’ll see it through. Aaron from downstairs has offered to help, but it’s not really fair to leave him to it.’

‘Ah, so you’ve made friends too! But why not let Aaron do it? If he’s offered? And if you think it might help his mum. He’s a nice lad, from what I’ve seen, and it’ll be them, and the others, who’ll benefit, won’t it? And me too, while I’m still recuperating at home. So many books to catch up on, and a long summer ahead. I’ve spent so much time away over the years, I hardly ever had time to run the hoover round, do my washing and re-pack, let alone worry about the garden. Yes, I’m all for it, and I can always lend a hand when I get back. Not the actual digging as I’m meant to be going easy on the physical stuff for a while, but if it’s money you need …’