‘We make sure it’s tamed in time for the wedding season but it soon grows unruly again. Everyone seems to prefer it that way,’ said Fenella.

Vernonica agreed that wild was wonderful.

‘Anyone need a lift to the station or anything?’ asked Laura. ‘No? Then when I’ve finished this, I’ll get upstairs to the office, start sorting out thank-you letters and things.’ She turned to Veronica. ‘You won’t go without telling me? You and Anne have been so brilliant.’

Veronica patted Laura’s shoulder as she got up. ‘Well, any time you want me – us – again, just say the word. It’s been a cracking festival, it really has, well done!’

After Veronica and Anne had been seen off in a throaty roar everyone drifted back to the kitchen.

‘It’s been really odd, hasn’t it?’ said Fenella, sliding the kettle on to the hot plate. ‘We’ve spent most of the festival wondering if Dermot was going to turn up. Then he whistled in, did two amazing events, and was helicoptered out again. It’s as if he was never here, in a way.’

‘Sort of,’ said Laura, feeling that in some ways her life would have been easier if he hadn’t whistled in.

‘But he made the festival such a roaring success. And all down to you, Laura.’ She paused. ‘You’ve been such a star, getting Dermot here and everything. Jacob Stone’s said to give you a bonus.’

‘Oh, you don’t need—’

‘Then I explained that we couldn’t, so he’s given you one instead.’

Laura was mortified. ‘You mean, after all that, we didn’t make a profit?’

‘Well, we did,’ said Rupert. ‘But not a huge one. Jacob emailed me to say he was going to give you two thousand pounds, on top of your fee.’

‘That’s amazing!’ said Laura when she had taken this in. ‘That’s so kind of him!’ She realised she hadn’t really given much thought to where her next pay cheque was coming from.

‘Dermot told him how much you’d personally done to get him here, before he went to California.’

Laura swallowed, hoping he hadn’t done this in too much detail. ‘Oh. So Jacob Stone’s gone to California?’

‘No, Dermot has. A film deal. Eleanora says it may not come off, but apparently lots of people have been interested for ages and he’s never entertained the idea before. It’s for his first book.’

‘Oh, yes. It would make a lovely film. So what’s changed? Why is he willing to have it made into a film now?’ That was it – she’d never see him again. A part of her wept, even if it was probably for the best.

‘It’s losing his writer’s block, so Eleanora said.’ Fenella frowned. ‘You did know that, didn’t you? It wasn’t just the short story, he’s writing a novel as well.’