‘Well, who knows – we might be able to do both,’ said Rob. ‘Both the necessary and something a little snazzier, I mean. I’m not going to charge you the earth. I’ve known you both and your family for a long time. I had a soft spot for your mother, and I’d love to do something in her memory. So why don’t I come up tomorrow, go through the place and see exactly what we can do?’

Elle and Penny looked at each other. ‘Sounds good,’ said Penny. ‘Ah, you’re so good for doing this, Rob.’ Her voice was slightly husky, and Elle figured that she was overwhelmed by his generosity.

She couldn’t muster quite the same gratitude. She said: ‘Yes, thanks Rob, very kind,’ but couldn’t stop herself from sounding stiff and a little sulky.

She couldn’t escape a thought that had crept into her head like a worm over the last hour: was there something between Rob and Penny? Is that why her sister had hardly mentioned him all these years, even when apparently, she had seen him regularly and had ‘good times’ as she had put it, back home at the hotel?

Perhaps Rob wasn’t upset at all after Elle left, but had just moved on to the other Harte sister, maybe the one he had always wanted, secretly? She tried to keep the thoughts out of her head but they grew stronger and stronger, until every moment of the dinner was poisoned with it. When Penny gave Rob the salmon she couldn’t finish, was that a sign of their intimacy? When he urged them to have dessert, was that because he wanted to spend longer in Penny’s company?

Elle sunk further and further into herself, unable to speak in case she accused them right out of being lovers, of going behind her back and making a fool of her. It was all she could do to eat her meal of locally caught mussels that she had so looked forward to.

But then again, why should she care? She had no right to care. If there was something between Rob and Penny, it was perfectly right and natural and no business of hers. She told herself this very sternly, and pulled herself back together. The last thing she wanted was for them to think that she cared. For the rest of the meal she was her usual self, witty, but slightly acerbic and completely impersonal, almost as if the other two at the table were just vague acquaintances.

Rob paid the bill and walked them to the car. He kissed Penny briefly on the cheek in farewell, but Elle held herself so rigid and aloof that he looked afraid to go near her. He watched them drive away and back up the hill into the stormy night, his face unreadable for the few seconds that Elle allowed herself to watch in the passenger side-mirror.