She didn’t particularly relish the thought of asking Rob about it either. Since their unsettling, wordless encounter on her arrival a couple of days before, she had avoided him. It wasn’t hard. He was on the roof from dawn till dusk, and the only way Elle knew he was there was the regular sound of his hammer and his dogs on the grounds begging for affection. Still, if she wanted to put her plan into action, she needed to find out how progress was going.

Now, she waited down below the ladder when she knew he was due to finish. She wondered how he was getting home, because his truck was nowhere to be seen. One of his building crew had it probably.

Rob made his way down the ladder slowly and carefully. When he got to the bottom and turned to her, she took one look at his face and knew he was bone tired. His face seemed caved in somehow, as though he had lost weight since she last saw him. There were bags of sleeplessness under his eyes, and his eyes themselves were dull and shot through with red.

He didn’t say anything, just raised his eyebrows in question. It was almost as though he couldn’t bring himself to speak, or was too tired to.

‘I’m not sure if anyone’s told you,’ she began a little nervously, ‘but I’ve come back. Obviously.’ She chuckled but her voice wavered. ‘I’ve had another idea for saving the hotel. One last ditch attempt.’ He still said nothing, his eyes burning a hole into her own, so she finished up shortly: ‘I was just wondering when the roof might be ready?’

When Rob did speak, at last, it seemed to cost him something. His shoulders drooped a little lower. ‘Next week,’ he said, his voice listless. ‘As long as the rain holds off.’

‘Next week? That’s good. And it won’t rain, not if I have anything to do with it.’

But he didn’t smile, he just continued to stare at her dumbly. Elle decided he must truly despise her if he couldn’t bring himself to have a civil conversation with her. Well, that was just another thing she would have to live with.

His truck pulled up the driveway then, driven by a young attractive woman with short dark hair who looked to be about Penny’s age.

‘Hello,’ she greeted as she got out. The dogs rushed to meet her. Whoever she was, they must know her well, Elle thought, wondering why she cared.

Rob began to load his things onto the back of the truck.

‘Hi,’ she said, greeting the woman. ‘I’m Elle. I live here.’

‘Oh, Penny’s sister. Lovely to meet you. I’m Celeste,’ she replied. She looked shyly at Rob. ‘A friend of Rob’s.’