Phyllis frowned. “I presume so. I didn’t know until Thursday that Bob was involved at all. Mary didn’t mention him, just said she had a crowd of cyclists staying with her.” Phyllis stood up and gathered up her cup and plate. “Anyway, I think we might have done all we can here. People seem to be settled.”

Liam appeared in the doorway of the kitchen while we were washing our dishes. “There’s to be an emergency town meeting,” he announced. “To organize people and see what needs to be done.”

Phyllis turned from the sink. “When?”

“In an hour, upstairs, in the band room.”

Phyllis looked at her watch. “Okay, I’ve time to get back up to the shop and check on Fred.”

“I’ll give you a lift,” I said. I needed to empty that basin again.

Chapter Fourteen

“OH GOD. IT’S still coming down.” Phyllis yanked her bucket hat onto her head. “As if it hasn’t done enough damage.”

We made our way across the lake that had formed in front of the main door, to the car, only too glad of our wellies. Although drumming on the roof of the hall while we’d been having our chat had left us in no doubt that the rain had started again, it was still startling to witness the torrent of water flowing down the hill. Each time I emerged from a building now, the landscape had changed, the floods making everything unrecognizable and threatening.

As we drove to the square, we passed Harry’s car, on its way back down towards the hall.

Phyllis clocked it and gave me a sneaky glance. “I think McFadden called him to come down and check people out. No bad thing. Just as well we have a doctor in the town.”

I changed into second gear as I went up the hill. It was always an experience having Phyllis in the Mini; tall as well as broad, the top of her head brushed against the roof of the car and I usually spent my time pushing her voluminous skirts off the gears, which I did now.

“How long has he been seeing Marina?” I asked.

Phyllis smiled. “Does it bother you?”

“Not in the slightest. I just wondered, that’s all.”

“Not long I don’t think, a few weeks, a month? It’s moved pretty quickly though, from what I’ve observed.”

Phyllis spent much of her day glancing up from whatever book she was reading, pushing her glasses down her nose and peering out at the town through the bookshop window. And her shop was across the road from Harry’s surgery.

“Oh really?” I was curious, despite myself.

“Let’s put it this way – I’m not sure how many nights she’s spent curled up with Guinness in your cottage during the past few weeks.” Phyllis winked.

“I’m happy for him,” I said. “And her.”