Immediately arrested by the unusual blue eyes, Claudia felt a swell of gratitude toward the woman as she shook her hand. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” She grimaced. “I got caught up on the coast road, I’m afraid.”

“Roadworks, I know, but don’t worry, I have plenty to do here to keep me occupied. Let’s go in out of this gale. It’s still pretty much a shell, as you’ll see, but at least the main structure is complete and the windows are in. Kitchen not finished, I’m afraid, so I can’t offer you tea or coffee, and plumbing not connected either, so if you need to spend a penny you’ll have to go behind a hedge or along the lane to the Portaloos.”

“Where are the builders?” Claudia asked, taking in the spacious entrance hall with black and white checkered floor tiles, ungrouted, freshly plastered walls, and large oak staircase. “Everywhere seems so quiet, and didn’t I read on the sign that completion is due by Christmas?”

Andee groaned as she went through an open set of double doors into a substantial room with a granite fireplace at its center, built-in bookshelves, two large smeary windows at one end and double French doors at the other. “They’ve just been fired,” she explained. “They only got the job because the firm the developer normally uses was tied up elsewhere. Fortunately, the builder of choice has unexpectedly come free, so he and his team are starting tomorrow, which gives us a fighting chance of completing by early spring.” She held up two fingers, firmly crossed. “Late, but not as bad as it might have been.”

Claudia smiled and stooped to set down her bag and books. “Are they all sold?” she asked, not sure whether she was interested, but there was no harm in finding out.

“I know that six have deposits on them,” Andee replied, “but there are two left on the south side, closest to the moor, and frankly they’re going to be dark.”

Claudia wrinkled her nose. They certainly didn’t want a dark house.

“Are you looking?” Andee asked. “Because if you are there’s a gorgeous old Georgian coach house that’s just come on the market. It belongs to the original Haylesbury estate. We’re on the Haylesbury estate here, by the way. It’s in serious need of renovation, but the structure seems pretty sound. Would that sort of thing interest you?”

Claudia’s heart had already tripped with excitement. “Absolutely,” she confirmed. “It’s a dream of mine, bringing an old Georgian property back to life.”