‘Excellent. We don’t mind at all, do we, darling?’ She left no room for Will to reply. Kate was in full flow. ‘That’s perfect. Well, we’ll let you get on with the estimate. Will you need to send it to us? Could you just tell us, so as to save time?’

Will took her gently by the arm and led her towards the house. ‘Barry will want to check the price of materials, sweetheart. Let’s leave him to it, and not rush him, shall we?’

The young man nodded and began taking measurements.

Back in the house Kate was buzzing with excitement. ‘Wow! What luck that they have a cancellation!’

‘Babe,’ Will said, ‘they probably always have a cancellation. It’s how they work.’

‘Cynic. I’m just pleased that they can start so soon.’

‘You haven’t even seen the quote yet. Perhaps we should get more than one. Don’t get ahead of yourself.’

He had hardly got the words out when Kate turned on him. ‘I want that work done, and I want it done soon. If the estimate is even halfway fair, I’m going to let them start tomorrow morning.’

‘What the hell has got into you, Kate? We used to discuss things. Now all the decisions seem to be made between you and the bloody house. What about me? What on earth is all the hurry for?’

‘Because it needs doing, and if I wait for you, we’ll still be dithering around at Christmas.’

‘Kate! We are arguing again. We never argued before we came here.’ His voice trembled and tears welled up in his eyes.

‘Oh right! You’re going to blame the house for everything that goes wrong, are you?’

‘If I think it’s to blame, then yes,’ he said.

‘Well, I suggest you don’t.’ She spat the words at him. ‘It has nothing to do with the house.’

‘Then what is it?’

She stuttered, searching for words. ‘It’s, it’s . . . oh!’ She ran from the room. He heard her steps on the stairs, and a door slammed. Once again, she was in her studio.

He pictured her sitting on the window seat looking out over Whisper Fen. He desperately wanted to go to her, to hold her close. He wanted to bury his face in her sweet-smelling hair and breathe her fresh, clean scent. He wanted things to be as they had been before they came to this beautiful, lonely place.

He held his head in his hands.

A voice from the back garden called his name. He swallowed hard and went out to Barry.

‘Thank you for giving me a bit of breathing space, sir. I do need to price this up properly back at the office. Your wife is really keen to get it done yesterday, isn’t she?’

Will managed a forced laugh. ‘You do what you have to. Don’t let her rush you.’