‘Yeah. It’ll just mean having to share my office with Violet, Kimberley’s old bag of a secretary. She sucks aniseed.’ She glanced out of the skewwhiff window. ‘Oh, look, Maddy. You’ve got a visitor, and they’re using the back path.’

‘Drew usually does.’

‘It isn’t Drew.’ Fran glanced at her watch. ‘I would have loved to stay for this – I’ll ring you. No, I’ll see myself out.’

She clattered towards the back door and Maddy sighed. She wasn’t anywhere near ready. She was just hiding the dishcloth in the saucepan cupboard when she heard Fran’s raised voice from the back garden. It was laughing.

‘One in, one out. It’s like a weather house. No, go in. She’s in the kitchen, Peter!’

Christ! Maddy dived towards the door. She’d have to tell him it wasn’t convenient. She simply couldn’t see him now.

‘Peter, I’m really sorry, but –’ She stopped. His face was utterly woebegone. He looked tired and rumpled and not at all like Peter. She sighed. ‘Come in.’

He slumped at the table. His blonde hair fell forward and the cornflower eyes were red rimmed.

‘I’m sorry to dump on you, Mad.’ He looked up at her. ‘I didn’t know where else to go.’

‘Go on.’ She pulled up a chair opposite him. ‘Is it because of the golf course? Surely you can find another site?’

‘Stacey’s left me.’

She fought down the urge to say ‘now you know what it feels like, you heartless bastard.’ ‘Why?’

‘Because Jeff has pulled out of the golf course. He only came in with me because I was so sure that with my connections with Milton St John getting hold of the land would be a doddle. He was absolutely furious about the punch-up, and then, finding that we couldn’t get the site after all, well …’

‘But surely. Stacey doesn’t have to leave you because of that?’

‘Stacey …’ Peter swallowed. ‘Stacey was apparently more in love with the idea of becoming Lady of the Manor than with me. No golf course, no Manor, no Stacey.’

‘Oh, Peter.’ She was genuinely sorry for him. ‘I don’t think there’s anything I can do. I mean, if she’s still in the village, I’ll certainly speak to her, but –’

‘She’s gone. Packed. Left me a note.’ He looked deep into her eyes. ‘Just like I did with you. Christ, Mad, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know it hurt so much.’

‘Oh, come on. You were screwing around like a rabbit.’

‘Mad!’ He seemed quite shocked. ‘OK, I might had had one or two harmless flings –’

‘Huh! Anyway, you said at Caroline’s party that Stacey embarrassed you. You even asked me out. I don’t believe you’re that heartbroken.’

‘But I’ve always been the one to end my relationships.’