It looked as if someone had covered the tarmac of the car park with white marbles when they rounded the corner and Isaac let go of Lily’s hand to fumble with the door key, hampered by Doggo trying to shelter between the door and his master’s legs. Turning her back on the driving hail, Lily crouched to pull Doggo into her embrace. Shielded, he immediately calmed, though his tail tip quivered as if to signal ‘I don’t know what’s going on but I don’t like it!’

When Isaac flung open the door Doggo launched himself into warmth and safety, almost knocking Lily onto her back. Possessed of slightly better manners, Isaac helped her inside and slammed the door. The hail clattered against the wood as if angry at being cheated but at last they were safe from its spite.

‘Phew, that was Siberian.’ She wiped her damp pink face with her hands. ‘Thanks.’

‘My pleasure.’ He pulled off his hat and, turning it inside out, used it to dry his face. It was too early for anyone else to be at the pub. Even Franciszka wouldn’t be in to vacuum carpets and clean the loos for another hour.

Doggo, restored to his usual ebullient self now the attack of the hailstones had stopped, raced ahead and was already rolling on the landing carpet when Isaac got there. ‘Stop it!’ he commanded. Then, to Lily: ‘Would you like to go into the kitchen? I’ll get his towel.’ He let himself into his own room while Lily crossed the landing, chatting to the dog. When Isaac caught up with them, she’d hung her coat on the back of a chair. Isaac grabbed Doggo and briskly rubbed his black-and-white coat. Doggo tried to play tug o’ war with the towel, growling with a ferocity belied by the furious wagging of his tail.

‘Has he settled down in the village?’ Lily asked, leaning on the table, laughing when Isaac used the towel to tow Doggo around the kitchen floor.

‘Apparently. I sprint up regularly to take him to the dog loo and maybe throw the ball for him. With that and long walks, he’s doing OK.’

‘And how about you? How do you like living here?’ Her blue eyes were watching him now. Tendrils of hair had escaped her bun and frizzed around her head as if she’d received a static shock. She wore no make-up this morning and her skin was pink and fresh.

‘I like it but I won’t be settling. I came here as a stopgap before I set off on my change-of-career adventure.’ He let go of his end of the towel and Doggo pounced on it, shaking it savagely. Then he dragged it into his bed and lay on it as if to show it who was boss.