‘The fact is,’ he said, ‘I’ve got some very good news for you. I have someone, an investor, who’s very interested in the property. Very interested, taking into account the general dilapidation of the place. He’s going to knock the whole thing down, start afresh with something modern. A fantastic idea, I thought. It will be wonderful for the town.’

He waited a moment, taking in her stricken face. ‘What on earth is wrong?’ he said. ‘I would have thought you would be delighted to have someone take the place off your hands.’

‘The thing is,’ she said, summoning reserves of strength she didn’t know she had, ‘I was hoping you could perhaps give us one last chance to keep the hotel. You might have heard about the party we are having tonight. I sent a personal invite to you at the bank and was hoping that you could come.’

‘I’m afraid I have other plans tonight,’ he said. ‘Besides, my wife positively refuses to set foot in the place. She is afraid the whole thing will collapse like a pack of cards.’

‘Please, Mr Grant,’ said Elle, hating herself for her weakness but there was no choice; she needed to keep him on side. ‘If you could just give us one more chance. We want to show the town what the hotel has to offer, show everyone how it can be if we could just get the finance to keep it going. If it doesn’t work, we will sell, I promise. I know I behaved terribly when we met before, but I appeal to you for one more chance.’

There was nothing that Doug Grant enjoyed more than power. That was the thing that kept him going. He fed on it, the way a machine runs on fuel. If he gave Elle Harte one last chance to keep her pathetic hotel, he would have her under his power for just a tiny bit longer.

‘You understand that it’s a great risk I’m taking . . .’ he told her as if he was seriously considering her proposal. ‘But I will give you just one more chance, as I am a fair man. Paddy will be bringing the interested party to the hotel first thing on Tuesday morning, though, so you should prepare your family.’

As he walked away, Elle finally let out the breath she had been holding. Had the little weasel really just given her one more chance? She could hardly believe it. Still, she drove back to the hotel feeling absolutely numb.

On the day of the only remaining chance to keep the hotel, the threat of it being ripped out from under them was closer than ever.