Hannah, in contrast, wore here-to-work jeans, boots, an old coat and a woolly hat. She tried to soothe Christopher while remaining realistic. ‘I know. The situation’s not of your making. But these people—’ she waved at the traders watching through doorways ‘—they’ve paid deposits and their first month’s rent. They have agreements. They’ve given up other tenancies to come and be part of Carlysle Courtyard. They’ve paid for signage on their shops and they have their livings to earn.’

Christopher turned puce, frying her with a glare. ‘Your fee is way out of order. Three thousand pounds? Pah!’ With one last, scathing look around he stomped to his Land Rover and was soon roaring down the drive.

Hannah had approached the meeting prepared to renegotiate the fee, which was, after all, a figure she’d plucked from the air in a moment of annoyance, but his snotty attitude reminded her of Albin and so she watched him leave, then turned back to Cassie. ‘Do we still have a deal?’

‘We do!’ Cassie clutched Hannah with her manicured fingers as if prepared to keep her by force. The wind buffeted them and a disembodied voice from the Crafties unit swore about bloody dust in his eye as Cassie pulled up her coat collar and drew closer. ‘I know Christopher was gruff. I’m afraid he’s upset.’ A groove dug itself in between her brows.

‘I understand,’ Hannah replied politely, though she didn’t, not really. It was more than ‘gruff’ to be so overtly angry when Hannah was rescuing the project. Working on the adage of knowledge being power she added encouragingly, ‘Is it something I’ve done that’s upset him? Other than charged a fee?’

Cassie flicked back her hair, eyes wide and alarmed. ‘You? No!’ For an instant she looked as if she might cry. She sighed, as if seeing there was nothing for it but to explain. ‘Simeon … he’s not great at seeing things through. It was OK when he was younger, I suppose, but now he’s over forty Christopher feels keenly that he should have achievements to show the world. He absolutely thought that Simeon had managed it with Carlysle Courtyard and Simeon did work jolly hard. But then he went off …’ Her bottom lip trembled. ‘Christopher feels Simeon’s failed again. It’s the disappointment making him tricky. Or maybe he’s got some weird idea that you succeeding will make Simeon look worse in comparison and that’s why he’s barking at you. I am sorry.’