‘I’ll fit in with whatever is convenient with you. Why don’t you suggest Martha hosts the get-together, that way she’ll feel in control of things? It means also we can choose when to leave if you feel we’re being cross-examined a bit too aggressively.’

Naomi sighed. ‘This is just what I dreaded. All this plotting and scheming and second-guessing.’

‘It’s only for now. Just a short-term measure to help your daughters come to terms with the realisation that their mother is a fantastically desirable woman who still wants to have some fun in her life. They’ll come round; you’ll see.’

‘I wish I had your certainty,’ she said, smiling at his description of her. ‘I suspect it’s not going to be as easy as you think.’

‘If you want something badly enough, it’s worth fighting for. And,’ he added, ‘I most assuredly will fight for you.’

The late afternoon sun had lost its warmth and so each wearing a fleece, they set out along the shoreline. There were a few day-trippers about, including a young couple with two young children and a frisky spaniel on a lead. Further along the beach, as they were about to take the path that led to Bosham, Naomi recognised the familiar outline of Jennifer Kingsbury trudging towards them. Waddling along at her side was Bentley, her overweight Labrador.

‘Here we go,’ said Naomi under her breath.

‘Options as I see them,’ said Ellis, ‘turn and run, or brazen it out. What’s it to be?’

For answer, she slipped her hand through his. ‘Time to brazen it out.’

As the gap between them and Jennifer closed, he squeezed her hand. ‘You lead,’ he murmured, ‘I’ll follow.’

‘Hello, you two,’ said Jennifer, her gaze fixed firmly on their faces as though trying to ignore their hands. ‘Out for a stroll?’

‘That’s right,’ replied Naomi.

‘And then supper at The Ship later,’ said Ellis.

‘That’s nice,’ said Jennifer. She somehow managed to make it sound anything but nice. But then, along with plenty of other women in the village, Jennifer had always thought so highly of Colin. On any number of fundraising committees together, the two of them had been stalwarts of the parish council, and all-round pillars of the community.

In private, Colin had often made fun of Jennifer, referring to her as one of his groupies. He’d never had any trouble twisting people, particularly women, around his little finger to do his bidding. Even a notoriously indomitable woman like Jennifer, who had no time for smooth-tongued charmers. That Jennifer would be unwilling to acknowledge what was staring her in the face – Naomi and Ellis clearly holding hands and what that implied – never mind approve, came as no surprise to Naomi. This, of course, was just the start of what was to come.

With Bentley wagging his tail and looking up at Ellis, Ellis let go of Naomi’s hand and bent to stroke the top of the dog’s head. It was then that Jennifer’s expression changed. Her lips stretched into a wide smile and she gave Naomi an incongruous wink.