‘Oh, Cosmo can’t come,’ answers Sam casually. ‘Some crisis has called him back to London. We’ll have to do without him, I’m afraid.’

‘Well, Amy doesn’t look too bothered,’ observes Max.

He watches Sam look across at her, notes the expression on his face and wonders if he’s found the answer to his earlier question.

‘No she doesn’t, does she?’ answers Sam. He grins at his godfather. ‘We’ll just have to make sure she doesn’t miss him.’

Max bursts out laughing.

‘I think you might find that Jack will be glad to encourage you in that endeavour,’ he says.

More coffee arrives, the tiffin is shared around, and Max prepares to put his problems to one side and celebrate his old friend’s birthday.

Cara raises her cup to Jack and smiles at Amy, wondering how Cosmo will fit in with this group of friends.

As if she is reading her thoughts, Amy says casually: ‘Oh, by the way, Cosmo can’t come tonight. Some emergency has come up and he’s had to go back to London.’

Amy looks quite calm, unfazed, but Cara feels a little tug of anxiety. Something makes her want to say: ‘That’s convenient timing, isn’t it?’ but she has no reason to believe that Cosmo wants to avoid an evening with Amy’s family and friends. Yet instinct tells her that all is not well. She likes Amy: she’s so straightforward, so easy to be with, and she’s such a pretty girl. Cara remembers how she met Cosmo out at Snapes Point on his last return from London.

‘What’s he done with the dog?’ she asks casually.

Amy shrugs. ‘Don’t know. Maybe his friend’s down again. Al, his name is. His parents own the house. And Reggie.’

‘Is Cosmo coming back?’

Just for a moment, Amy looks slightly disconcerted. She frowns, then shrugs again.

‘He didn’t say in his text,’ she answers. ‘I should think so.’

It seems rather odd that Amy isn’t very well informed but Cara is pleased to see a measure of indifference. Even if Amy is hurt or worried she isn’t going to allow it to show. Cara remembers how they looked together, so much in love, so absorbed in each other, and she can’t quite dismiss her fear.

Jack is offering her some tiffin, coffee is put in front of her. She smiles at him and she glances up again at the beam, remembering how she felt when she first saw Cosmo, how he pointed out the words ‘Dolce far Niente’ and how he reminded her of Joe.

As she picks up the piece of tiffin, Sam slides into the chair opposite and smiles at her.

‘You’ve got permission for a run ashore,’ he tells her. ‘How about we go to The Keep tomorrow to be in time for lunch? Shall I phone Fliss and ask her?’