‘One of these days we’ll meet under more auspicious circumstances,’ he said. Then he kissed her cheek and walked off towards his car without looking back.

Laura stood and watched him go, her tears flowing freely now. She didn’t care if anyone saw her.

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

The drive back to Somerby gave Laura plenty of time to sort out in her mind her feelings for Dermot and, more importantly, his feelings for her. Although she couldn’t really tell how he felt, Laura was now convinced she was really in love with Dermot. The course had given her an opportunity to see him as a man, and how he functioned in society. He could be cutting, sarcastic and rude but it was all tempered with humour, wit and extreme kindness. All of the students had been criticised, but all of them had received praise they would cherish for the rest of their writing careers.

He saw her as a helpmeet, that was it. Reliable, diligent, forgiving – none of the characteristics that made her a force to be reckoned with, unless they happened to be jointly reckoning the chances of a particular writer’s success. His tenderness to her as they parted showed her how fond he was of her, but fondness was not enough. A part of her wished she’d never met him, that he’d remained the elusive figure she’d dreamt about. Now like all good heroines in the books she devoured as a teenager, she’d have to pick herself up and get over him as best she could.

She was soon thrown back into festival work with little time to dwell too much on the great Dermot Flynn and for that she was very grateful. She’d slipped the photograph one of the students had sent her of them all together into one of the books on her shelves after briefly tracing the outline of his face and then telling herself not to be so silly.

She’d been to stay with Grant for a few days, who was back from a holiday ‘somewhere hot and expensive’ and wanting to tell her all about it, with pictures. She was now returning to Somerby once more – and work.

Fenella greeted Laura as she drove round the back to park her car near her converted byre, calling through the open window. She seemed very over-excited.

‘Have you heard? Dermot’s gone public! Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘Let the poor girl get out of the car!’ Even Rupert, following his wife, seemed less laid-back than usual.

Laura did this. ‘Sorry, Fen, what do you mean?’

‘Jacob Stone phoned me. Apparently Dermot has gone public. He saw it on some news thing. He’s thrilled, naturally.’