I had been both astounded and flattered when he kept pestering me, of all people, for a date and I couldn’t believe my luck when the relationship turned serious. For a long time, I had thought someone like him was out of my league, now for the briefest moment, I wished he had been. But of course, had he not arrived out of the blue, I wouldn’t be feeling this way. If I had been able to prepare to pick up the threads of my life with him, I would have had my mindset as well as my messy hair back under control in plenty of time.

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘That’s always been the plan.’

I turned my hand over and grasped his.

‘But you still haven’t said what you’re doing here,’ I prompted, ignoring the fact that there was no tingle.

I couldn’t help remembering that when he had come to the cottage after our big bust-up and begged me to forgive him and move in with him, he had vowed he’d never visit the place again and yet here he was. I had assumed he hadn’t wanted me to visit Dolly again because of the bad memories he associated with my last trip here, but I must have been wrong.

‘Everything at work is all right, isn’t it?’ I asked.

‘Couldn’t be better,’ he grinned, letting go of my hand and picking up his coffee. ‘I got through a tonne of work in the last few days and decided to come back early. I’ve missed you so much and since you said about working in school, I have to admit I’ve been worried about you. It must be tiring, Hattie.’

‘It is,’ I admitted, ‘but it’s also great fun.’

‘I’m sure you think it is,’ he said, ‘but at this rate you’ll need a holiday to get over your holiday and I need you ready for this move. There are going to be lots of people for you to meet when we get out there and there’ll be parties to host and to go to.’

‘I’m certain I’ll be able to manage,’ I said, giving him a genuine smile as my stomach bubbled with the first flicker of excitement at the thought.

Jonathan’s ‘just the two of us’ ethos had often meant we were on our own but clearly that was all set to change and I rather liked the thought of making connections with other folk as soon as we moved. They might even become a circle of friends who could help me in my quest to find another job.

‘That’s all right then,’ he smiled back, ‘and as I’m here in the UK again now, I thought you might as well come back to the flat with me. Take some proper time out to get over this so-called holiday before the move.’

‘What?’