‘You’re a char?’ Peter choked on his roquette. ‘Maddy, that’s perfect! Who better? You were never happy with those office jobs you used to flit in and out of. And, of course, you had such good training.’

‘Exactly.’ Maddy spoke quickly before he told them how he’d met her. ‘It’s something that I do well, a job I enjoy doing, and something that is always in demand.’

‘Though unless you’ve changed a good deal, you certainly don’t take your work home with you.’ Peter grinned in a very familiar way. ‘You used to live in virtual squalor.’

‘I didn’t!’ she protested hotly. ‘I’m a bit chaotic, that’s all.’

Rescue came from an unexpected quarter.

‘I’m sure if I spent all day mucking out other people’s houses,’ Drew said, ‘the last thing I’d want to do when I got home was start on my own. They always say cobblers’ kids have bare feet, don’t they?’

Maddy beamed at Drew. Peter nodded thoughtfully. ‘True enough.’ He looked at Maddy. ‘I’m surprised that you’re making a success of it, though. You used to be such a scatterbrain.’

‘I used to be a lot of things.’ Maddy looked directly into Peter’s eyes, challenging him to contradict her. ‘I’ve grown up – a bit late, admittedly, but I couldn’t let Suzy be the only career woman in the Beckett family, could I?’

‘I’d heard from Diana that Suzy is cutting a swathe through the apprentices – in more ways than one.’

‘Suzy is determined to be the top apprentice this year and champion jockey in five years’ time. She’ll probably make it.’ She turned to Drew, deliberately changing the subject, reluctant to lose the high ground to her sister. ‘Maybe I could come across and speak to you about Shadows some time? Peapods is a huge house, and you might be able to use us.’

Drew nodded. ‘You’ll have to speak with Caroline about that. She’ll be organising the domestic side of things when she gets here. She’s still over on the island at the moment.’

‘Caroline? The island?’ Kimberley had bounced back into the conversational volley.

Drew smiled again, a pale imitation of the previous one, but nice nevertheless. ‘My wife. Jersey. It’s where we’ve moved from.’

Kimberley deflated before their eyes. Maddy felt desperately sorry for her. It was typical of Diana to have neglected to mention that there was a Mrs Fitzgerald.

‘That would be great.’ Maddy was being professional now. ‘I’ll be pleased to discuss rates and hours with her. We’re very reasonable. You can’t miss my cottage – it’s the one with the sloping green roof opposite your drive.’

‘The one that looks like a bijou Nissen hut.’ Peter laughed.

Maddy shot him a surprised look. That was exactly how Diana always described her cottage. How come Peter, who had been out of circulation for so long, was quoting Diana James- Jordan? She joined in the laughter along with Kimberley and Barty. Drew was surveying them all with some doubt. Maybe they had a different sense of humour in the Channel Islands.