Totally depressed, she couldn’t even take any comfort from the fact that two main bedrooms had been made up, and that as she cleaned, it was obvious that Drew’s belongings were all in the master bedroom with the magnificent, brass bed and the cream drapes, and Caroline’s were arranged with almost antiseptic neatness in the smaller room at the end of the passage.

They probably galloped along the landing between bedrooms, she thought angrily, knocking the vacuum cleaner viciously against the antique skirting boards. Maybe Drew snored. Maybe they made love in one room and slept in the other. Maybe they really didn’t make love at all, but drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms as loving companions. Whatever the reason, Caroline slept at Peapods with Drew, while she slept across the road in the cottage. And nothing would change it.

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

The main street was crowded. The villagers jostled, laughing and talking in the misty evening sun, at the entrance to Maynards Orchard. Hordes of children swung from the boughs of Goddards Spinney, and Bronwyn and Bernie were handing out leaflets. Several protesters waved placards with felt-tipped messages like ‘Hands Off Our Heritage’ and ‘Trees Have Feelings Too’. Maddy, who had walked from the cottage with Suzy, bit her lip. There were far too many people.

‘Holy hell!’ said Suzy. ‘This is serious.’

‘Too serious.’ Maddy’s stomach had tightened in dismay. ‘Bronwyn is going about this all the wrong way. I tried to tell her this morning.’

This morning seemed like three years ago. This morning she’d still had Drew’s friendship.

‘Look! There’s the local telly! And Thames Valley Radio! Bronwyn must have tipped them off.’ Suzy was jigging up and down. ‘And are they newspaper reporters over there?’

‘She should have thought about some sort of security as well as media coverage.’ Maddy felt like a real wet blanket but the size of the crowd was quite daunting. ‘There’s not even a token police car. God knows what’ll happen if there’s any trouble.’

Suzy had no such fears. Her eyes shone with excitement. ‘It’s such a shame that Luke’s at Lingfield. He’d have loved all this. Still,’ she shot a questioning look at Maddy, ‘we’re both deserted women tonight. Where’s Drew?’

‘He couldn’t make it,’ Maddy said flatly. ‘He had something else on.’

‘Do I detect a bit of a rift between you and the divine Mr Fitzgerald?’

‘No, you bloody well don’t! To have a rift you have to have a join in the first place.’ She glared at her sister. ‘And if you draw any sexual connotation from that I’ll hit you.’