‘Are you saying you’re bored?’

‘Not at all. But it’s either doing up Waterside Cottage or buying a bike and wearing skin-tight Lycra.’

She’d laughed. ‘Don’t ever think of wearing Lycra. I shall kick you out without a moment’s hesitation if you do that.’

‘And rightly so. So, am I forgiven for wanting to buy next door?’

‘Of course you are.’

With Rose’s death, the idea that Lucas could use the cottage when he next visited was implemented far sooner than Ellis had imagined. As soon as a date for the funeral was fixed, Lucas booked his flights and flew over. He was given the option to stay with the rest of them at Anchor House, but he’d said he would be quite happy sleeping next door.

Her tea now finished, and to the left of her eyeline, Naomi caught a flicker of movement down in the garden. Leaning forwards, she saw Willow walking the length of lawn towards the gate and the beach. To the side of the gate, on the path that ran between Anchor House and the beach, Lucas appeared. After exchanging a few words and a smile, they set off along the shoreline.

There was nothing particularly furtive about the encounter, but watching them disappear from view, and seeing the natural synchronicity between the pair of them – the way they had so easily fallen in step with each other, their arms swinging at their sides and almost touching – Naomi felt a chill of foreboding.

Surely she was wrong? Willow and Lucas were merely two young people thrown together by their parents’ relationship and were simply getting to know each other. It was all perfectly innocent.

But would Rick see it that way? Knowing the answer to her question would be no, Naomi wondered if she should say something to Ellis. But what? She could hardly ask him to tell his son to back off, could she? Not when he would quite rightly say that it took two to tango.

Oh Willow, she thought, do take care.

Martha’s old bedroom, the one she now shared with Tom whenever they visited, had an unusual corner window with a built-in seat beneath it. As a child she had loved to sit there reading while listening to the sounds of the sea, especially if it was stormy.

The window gave a view of the garden and beach beyond, and standing in front of it while brushing her hair, she observed her sister and Lucas setting off for a walk together. Craning her neck, she observed them until they were out of sight.

‘What’s so interesting down there on the beach?’ asked Tom.

‘I didn’t realise you were awake,’ she said, turning to face her husband who was still in bed.

‘I’ve been watching you for a few minutes. What were you straining to look at?’

Martha put the brush down and went and sat on the bed. ‘Willow and Lucas going for a walk.’