Oh, please don’t let her want to come here permanently, Maddy prayed.

‘Meeting? ’ Drew looked at Maddy, who shook her head.

‘Of the Villagers Against Golf,’ Caroline informed them. ‘Bronwyn reckons it’s time the village showed its muscle.’

‘I thought they were having a meeting next week? Before The Derby?’

‘Apparently, Bronwyn thinks it’ll be too late. She thinks there should be more action and less talk.’

‘Sounds like one of Peanut’s edicts.’ Drew smiled at Maddy. She wanted to kiss him so badly she had to grit her teeth.

‘You two will be able to go along, won’t you?’ Caroline said happily. ‘And don’t forget to ring me afterwards, Drew. I shall want to know what happened. Bronwyn is a fearsome old lady. I wouldn’t like to get on the wrong side of her.’

‘Was Diana surprised to see you just now, Drew?’ Maddy asked, deftly steering the subject away from shared experiences. ‘Didn’t she wonder what was going on?’

Drew’s eyes creased at the corners. ‘Diana was full of stories about how wonderful you are. I couldn’t imagine why. She told me that it was because of you that she and Mitchell had decided to reinstate Richard.’

‘Me?’

‘Apparently so. She owed you a massive favour, so she said.’

‘Oh – she thought that was the price I wanted for my silence?’ Maddy laughed in realisation. ‘Maybe I should go into blackmailing with kid gloves. I never even thought about asking her to reinstate Richard.’

So Diana had a conscience after all? And Mitchell D’Arcy must be very smitten to have acquiesced so readily. It only added to Maddy’s sudden despondency, and to the loneliness she’d felt earlier. Everybody had somebody …

The light was fading. The sky was streaked with navy and lilac, and Caroline, obviously feeling left out of the conversation, shivered slightly. ‘If you’re ready to leave, Drew, I should like to go home now.’

Drew looked reluctantly at Maddy who had just discovered something fascinating in the grass. She couldn’t look at him. She didn’t want him to see the hopelessness in her eyes.

‘Yes, well, I suppose I really ought to see how Dock of the Bay’s settling in. Maddy? Can we give you a lift?’

‘No, thanks. I’ll stay a bit longer and wait for Suzy and Luke.’ Who probably wouldn’t want her either. ‘Thanks for asking, though. Caroline, I’ll see you in the morning.’

Caroline smiled. ‘About eight, and then we can have a lovely long day in town. Good night, Maddy.’

Maddy watched the Fitzgeralds walk away across the lawn in the twilight. It only gave her the merest spark of satisfaction to notice that they were walking at least six inches apart.

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

‘What do you think, Maddy?’ Caroline swept out of the fitting room and executed a twirl of scarlet and black. ‘Is this one me?’