It depicted a blossoming lotus flower with a hummingbird drinking from it as it hovered with its wings open. The water was frothing upwards from its centre in a joyous silver stream and even though there were generous chunks of damp moss on its stone base, it didn’t detract from the fountain’s beauty.

From the water feature to the graceful statues, the whole effect was a magical one. Ok, so the grass could do with a good mow and there were weeds trying to masquerade as flowers, but it was stunning all the same.

I imagined myself lounging on a blanket on a summer’s day, lost in a good book as the sun danced across my face…

“What are you doing? You have no right to be in here!”

My skin prickled.

Harley and I whirled round to see an incandescent Lily Cruickshank emerge out of the back door of the house.

“Mrs Cruickshank,” I panicked. “I’m so sorry, but Harley had a go at the fence, broke one of the damaged panels and—”

“You seem to be making a habit of hanging about round here.”

I thought about the crap day I’d had at work, and self-satisfied Miles and his fiancée. My cheeks flashed. “I just wanted to go somewhere pretty with Harley. Forget about things for a little while.” I realised I was at risk of talking too much and stopped.

She gave me an odd look from the doorway. “You do realise I could have you charged with trespassing?”

“I’m sorry. I got a glimpse of this beautiful garden and I couldn’t resist coming in to take a look.”

Lily Cruickshank’s expression, which had verged on the cusp of fury a moment ago, twisted into one of indignation. “You journalists,” she ground out, down her regal nose. “You think you have the divine right to interfere in other people’s lives.”

“Mrs Cruickshank, please.”

She cut me off, her long flowing olive skirt flapping around her ankles. “Haven’t you got anything better to do than hang around here, sticking your nose into matters that don’t concern you?” Her chilled stare ran up and down me. “No husband to go back to? No boyfriend?”

Her words stung. They dredged up more pictures of Miles and his new fiancée.

She folded her arms across her bony chest. “I bet you’re one of those hard-nosed young madams who puts her career first, before anything or anyone else.”

Her words stung. That wasn’t me. That wasn’t who I was. I bit back the hurt. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know anything about me.” Anger was flickering up inside me, like a growing flame, and I was struggling to contain it.

Athena, my new job, Miles… They were piling in on me; stoking my upset and frustration.