Gerald was determined to reassure her. ‘By the time the building and decorating is finished I’ll probably have full-time work for you and I’ve got friends in the business who might use you too. Editors tend to be freelance in Ireland. It’s a much smaller market than in England.’

By now Laura’s enthusiasm was pushing aside her natural caution. ‘And I could always get a job in a pub, to make a bit of extra.’

Gerald became solemn. ‘I don’t think I’d like to think of you working in a pub. Tell you what, I’ll undertake to get you all the editorial work you need, be it from me or other publishers. Although you might have to do a bit of copy-editing, too – you can handle that.’

‘I’d need to go on a course for copy-editing, wouldn’t I?’

He nodded. ‘Possibly, but you could do it by mail order.’

She laughed. ‘Don’t you mean by correspondence?’

‘As near the same thing as makes no difference.’

Her moment of levity vanished. ‘I’ve just thought of something. If I’ve been living in your holiday cottage say for . . .’

‘Three months.’

‘And if I’ve made any friends, I won’t want to uproot myself again. Is there likely to be anywhere to live in Bally— what you said? Or is it just a holiday place?’

‘Oh no. It’s also full of commuters. Lots of young families live there. It’s a great place. It has a real buzz to it.’

‘It sounds brilliant!’

‘So you’ll come?’ Gerald seemed eager.

‘Well, what’s to stop me? And if there’s a house thrown in – well.’ She smiled reflectively. ‘This morning I was about to be jobless and homeless and now both seem to be sorted out, in the best way possible.’

‘Oh, good girl,’ said Eleanora who Laura now suspected might have been listening to a good bit of the conversation. ‘You’re sounding really positive now. Shall we have a bottle of champagne to celebrate? Waiter!’

‘I hope it’s not all too good to be true,’ said Laura to Monica on the phone three weeks later. She’d already thrashed out all the pros and cons with Fenella and Rupert and there seemed to be more of the former than the latter. This was the first time she’d had a chance to run it all past Monica, who’d been on tour. ‘The thing is, while I’m living rent-free I can decide if I like it over there, and if I don’t, well, I can find something back in England. Now I’ve done that copy-editing course Eleanora arranged for me, I could get work here, possibly.’

‘You have been busy since I’ve been away.’ Monica was impressed. ‘When did you do that?’