‘It was kind.’ Laura flicked the switch on the kettle. The kitchen may not have been finished, but it was going to be very well equipped eventually. ‘He has another cottage here he wanted to check out, so he didn’t come all the way from Dublin just to welcome me.’ Still, Laura had been very touched.

‘And don’t forget he’s arranged a little drinks party on Sunday so you can meet some of the neighbours.’

‘That certainly is kind. Do you want tea? Or hot chocolate? I’m not sure I want anything now I’ve boiled the kettle. I think I’ll just fall into bed.’

‘Mm, me too. It’s been a long day. Fun though.’

‘Yes,’ said Laura. ‘A bit of a big day, but definitely fun.’

It was difficult saying goodbye to Monica early on Monday morning – she was flying off to visit Seamus, on tour in Germany – but not as hard as it might have been had Gerald not been so thoughtful. She stood on the doorstep, sensing a hint of autumn in the air, waving her friend off in the taxi. She couldn’t help remembering another trip to the airport in a taxi, and she fought back her melancholy with an effort.

But Gerald had made things as easy as possible. Apart from greeting her and Monica, and arranging a party so she could meet her neighbours (which Monica had agreed had been a ‘gas’), he had also left her with quite a lot of work. It was this pile of Jiffy bags, lurking in a corner, that stopped Laura slumping into a heap; it was her new job, she had to get on with it. And she wanted to – she felt ready for the challenge. As soon as she’d waved Monica off, she went to the room she and Gerald had designated her study, and had a look at the pile.

Gerald had admitted that he’d been neglecting his slush pile, waiting for her to come. Her first job was to go through everything, decide if there was any merit in any of it, and write a report on anything she liked. Although she’d spent enough time with Eleanora to know that slush piles rarely threw up anything interesting, she couldn’t help a slight feeling of excitement as she picked up the first parcel. She had found her scissors and was attacking the staples that held it together when there was a ring at the back door, swiftly followed by a cheery ‘Halloo!’

Her heart soared and descended in a sickening way as she hoped, and then stopped hoping, that it was Dermot. She’d told everyone not to tell him where she was after all. She got up from behind the table to meet the first of the builders.