But Elle was less concerned with that, and more concerned with making use of Tricia. A photographer could be just what they needed.

‘There’s no way I’m going back to England,’ said Colin to Tricia at breakfast the next morning. ‘Look at this earthly paradise I’m surrounded by.’ The generous sweep of his arm was punctuated by the shrill appeal of a power drill.

Tricia seemed unconvinced, but she was used to her brother’s stubbornness. If he wanted to stay here, it was really no concern of hers. She had really only come over at her parent’s wishes, to inspect the woman he had got himself involved with. She would do, Tricia supposed.

Elle cut into their conversation: ‘You’re a writer,’ she said to Colin, ‘and you’re a photographer,’ she said to Tricia. ‘We could use the services of both.’

And so Tricia was installed in the hotel until it was ready to be photographed. Elle wondered if it was worth it, to have her stalking around with her camera all the time, poking into everything, but at least it kept her from getting in Penny’s hair too much.

She spent a lot of time in the garden, and Elle had to admit, she photographed it to beautiful effect. She shot it in the morning, in the full sun and at dusk, which seemed to suit it best. In a couple of photos, Elle herself could be seen, standing pale against the trunk of a tree. ‘I didn’t even know you were there,’ she exclaimed to Tricia.

‘That’s what a photographer does, my dear. We’re very sneaky.’

Elle was annoyed that she had been so unaware of the photo being taken. Once again, her mind had been overrun with thoughts of Rob; what he was doing, how he was feeling and so on. It was infuriating to her that she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

One evening, when she was sitting out in the garden, her father sought her out. She could almost always be found out here when she wasn’t in the house.

‘Why don’t you just go and see the lad?’ he said. ‘Stop being so stubborn.’

‘Am I that obvious?’

Ned nodded. ‘And what’s the harm? There’s no rush, you’ll be around for a while, and so will he. Stop treating everything with such seriousness, Elle. Take a leaf out of their book,’ he said, nodding towards the house where Penny and Colin could be heard screeching with laughter about something.

‘What else do you want from me, Dad?’ Elle asked, feeling hurt.

‘I want to see both of my daughters happy,’ he said, emphatically.

Chapter 45

Elle had arranged for a piece about the hotel to go in Places and Spaces, a magazine that focused on luxury Irish weekend retreats in traditional surroundings.