I saw Edie as soon as I rounded the first bend after passing the heart-stone. She was standing below the terrace on the lawn near the railings. She wore a long black skirt and a black vest top, bangles halfway up her forearms, mirrored sunglasses covering her eyes. I waved but she didn’t see me. So I shouted out to her. My words must have been stolen by the wind because she didn’t look my way. I walked on and she momentarily dropped out of sight as the path dipped. When she came back into view I saw she was talking to my brother who held a paintbrush in his hand and was daubing the railings white.

I dropped to a crouch before either of them noticed me. My insides solidified as if my stomach had filled with concrete. Keeping low, I crept to a place on the path where I could watch them both whilst remaining obscured by the brambles and gorse. God. Why hadn’t I brought my binoculars?

Edie was talking animatedly. Jago nodding. Turning his head every now and then before bending to dip his brush into the paint. What were they saying? Was she inviting him for a barbecue? Talking about Dad and the night he died? Was she going to tell him he could spend the summer hanging out with her at The Cliff House?

My jealousy erupted and I screamed out, ‘Edie! I’m here! I’m here!’

At last she heard and turned to look in the direction of my shout. I waved and she waved back, then spoke to Jago, who glanced down towards me then continued with his painting.

I carried on along the path, tucking my hair behind my ear as wind tossed it about my face and trying to ignore my fear that she was going to tell me to leave again, which had now come back with full force.

I needn’t have worried.

She was at the gate to meet me and when I got close to her she smiled and kissed me on the cheek, happier to see me than she’d ever been. We linked arms and walked up the lawn.

‘How was Exeter?’

‘Oh, you know,’ she said. But I didn’t and wished she’d told me.

‘Come and sit.’