‘It wasn’t something I was encouraged to do. My career was already mapped out for me … here, at Conmere.’ He thought back to his father telling him design work was all right for a hobby but it wouldn’t make him any money. It was one of the few occasions he’d wished his father were still alive so he could prove the old man wrong.

‘Do you have a portfolio?’ asked Harry, moving the conversation on and away from memories of his father.

‘Back home, not with me,’ she replied. ‘But I do have some on my camera.’

‘I’d like to have a look. I might be able to put some business your way.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. I’d like to get some local scenes printed and framed up. I was thinking this morning that the breakfast room might be a nice place to have some.’ He hadn’t been thinking that at all, but as he said it, it did sound like a good idea. ‘I’ll pay you properly, of course,’ he added, wanting to be sure she saw this as a business opportunity.

They chatted for a while about what sort of pictures he was looking for and Steph agreed to take some for him to look at. ‘The only thing is,’ she said, ‘would you mind not mentioning this to my boss at Vacation Staycation? He might want to take a percentage, as technically I am working for him this weekend.’

‘Sure. No problem. We’ll keep this just between the two of us,’ agreed Harry.

‘Thanks, I appreciate that.’

They walked on along the track, gradually leaving the organised and landscaped area of the resort behind them.

‘It’s certainly beautiful scenery here,’ said Steph as they walked through a bank of trees and out into the more open landscape, where Conmere Lake was just ahead of them.

As they walked, Harry pointed out some of the landmarks and gave a brief history of the place.

‘The lake is nearly ten square kilometres, one of the largest in the Lake District. It’s not very well known though because it’s in the private grounds of Conmere House. The largest lake and probably the most well-known is Windermere. That’s over ten miles long.’ He waved his hand out towards the trees. ‘Woodland covers about twelve per cent of the Lake District.’

‘You sound like you really love this place,’ said Steph. ‘Or is that just your sales patter?’

Harry gave a wry smile. ‘You’ve caught me out,’ he admitted. He stopped himself from saying how he’d used to love the scenery but now he couldn’t see any beauty in it, not since it had claimed Elizabeth’s life. Now it was a place he associated with dark memories and death.