‘Don’t worry about Eleanor. She’s fine,’ he said. ‘I’ll check on her though. It’s kind of you to be concerned but, honestly, don’t burden yourself. My wife can be’—he hesitated— ‘delicate sometimes. In London she has a professional to talk to. I’m not sure how much it helps. I have a sneaking suspicion it’s merely an exercise in draining my bank account.’ He drinks from his glass. ‘She feels isolated down here. Especially when I’m writing and in absentia so much. It’s a shame because I love it. I’m desperate to move down. London is’ —he paused— ‘exhausting for me now. I’ve outgrown it. Or perhaps it’s outgrown me. But here, well, here is quite magical, isn’t it? I was hoping that if we spent the summer down here she’d fall in love with it too, be happy to move here permanently. It would give her some space from all the temptations in London.’ He held the wine up to the light and studied it for a moment or two before looking back at her. ‘My wife is the embodiment of a cautionary tale. She pursued me relentlessly, but perhaps being the glamorous, party-loving wife of a bestselling writer isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.’ He drank again, his face flinching with undisguised regret. ‘Be careful what you wish for,’ he said. ‘That’s what they say, isn’t it?’

She flushed with heat. He shouldn’t be talking about his marriage so candidly. It wasn’t right. If Eleanor knew he was discussing her with the cleaner she’d be horrified.

Angie smiled tightly. ‘I should get on.’ She bent to pick up the bucket of cleaning products off the floor. ‘Would you like me to do your study quickly?’

Max stared at her with a look of wry amusement. ‘Why not? It does have a tendency to get rather unsavoury in there.’ He didn’t move. But remained leaning against the worktop, wine in hand, studying her with intense scrutiny.

She dropped her eyes to break his stare.

‘I think I’ll make the most of the break and drive to St Just for a paper. Do you need anything?’

She wasn’t sure what he thought she might need, but thanked him anyway and excused herself, hurrying out of the kitchen and praying his increasing flirtatiousness was imagined. She went into his study and over to his desk, and sprayed its surface with glass cleaner and wiped vigorously, as she listened to his car pull away from the house.