She goes back outside while Cosmo collects a few things together and comes out again with Reggie. She’s cleared a space for him, and Cosmo throws Reggie’s rug in, arranges it and encourages him to jump up. He seems quite happy and, once he’s settled, Cosmo gives him one of his treats and closes the door on him.

‘This is great,’ he says, climbing in beside her. ‘Thanks, Amy.’

‘You’re welcome,’ she says lightly. ‘Now don’t forget to keep your eyes open for a subject for your blog. Or for a really good photograph.’

He’s told her about his new idea for starting a blog while they were having coffee and she’s rather touched by his enthusiasm. As she turns the car and bumps slowly back up the track she wonders how her dad might react to Cosmo. She knows that she’ll come in for a good bit of teasing: London boy called Cosmo; risk assessment analyst. Dad will do his local yokel act and she’ll be embarrassed. Amy refuses to be daunted by the prospect, though. She hasn’t met anyone she likes so much since she was at Falmouth. Briefly she wonders if Cosmo has a girlfriend in London but she guesses that it’s unlikely that he’d come away for three months if there was anyone serious. It’s rather good for her ego to be singled out by this very attractive man who is probably four or five years older than she is and who is so confident and amusing. She can tell that he’s enjoying himself and she begins to smile as she pulls out into the lane and heads towards Kingsbridge.

CHAPTER FOUR