The smell of bacon drifted from the grill and Lauren slid it out before it burned. Now she just had to do the toast. Lauren took the lid from the butter in preparation and waited, sipping her juice and gazing out of the window at the fields. It looked as if it was going to be another warm day. Perhaps they could go out for a walk this afternoon – if they could manage to drag themselves out of bed.

As she daydreamed, she thought she saw the figure of a man passing along the hedge at the side of Zak’s cottage. But then he was gone. Lauren blinked. Must be imagining things.

The toast shot exuberantly out of the toaster and she turned away, but as she did so, she caught sight of a shock of dark hair again ducking down by the fence at the back. Lauren peered out of the window, but could see no one.

Turning her attention back to the toast, she buttered it liberally, slapped on the bacon and sliced each sandwich into two rather indelicate halves. She found a tray slotted down by one of the cupboards and loaded it up.

As she opened the bedroom door, Zak was just waking, rubbing his eyes, raking his hair.

‘Lunch in bed,’ she said.

Her boyfriend – was that what he was now? – glanced at the clock and his eyes widened. ‘Is that really the time?’

‘That’s really the time.’ Lauren plonked the tray down on the bed.

‘You terrible woman,’ Zak teased. ‘You’re leading me astray. I’m normally up with the lark.’

‘I didn’t know if you liked tea or coffee,’ she said. ‘I opted for coffee.’

‘I’ll drink anything as long as someone else is making it.’

‘That’s what I like to hear. A man who’s easy to please.’

‘Hey.’ He caught her round the wrist. ‘Come here. It must be hours since I kissed you.’

‘Not even one,’ she said, surrendering to his mouth before slipping into bed beside him.

‘This looks great,’ he said. ‘I’m starving.’

‘How can you be, after all those puddings?’

‘I’ll remind you that some of us have used up a lot of energy during the night.’

Lauren laughed. ‘I’d forgotten.’

‘Then I might have to remind you again in a moment.’

‘We’ll have to close the curtains,’ she said. ‘Looks like you’ve got some sort of prowler or Peeping Tom.’

‘Really?’

‘There was a guy hanging around at the back of the house. I didn’t get a proper look at him though.’

Zak frowned. ‘That’s unusual.’

She shrugged. ‘Could have been an innocent dog-walker.’

It was only later, much later, that Lauren realised that she should have known.

Chapter 98

Chapter 98

Chelsea rings and asks me to meet her. Which is unusual in itself. She also sounds as if she’s been crying.

‘Is everything okay?’

‘I’ll explain when I see you.’