Her sister laughed and shook her head, which made Elle even angrier. For a moment, it was almost a replica of the dreams she’d had during the night and she wondered if over the last few years Penny had somehow changed into a completely different person.

‘I think,’ Penny wheedled, ‘that you think that something is going on with me and Rob, because we’re comfortable together, because he comes here a lot, because he loved Mum. You think that we’ve got something going on, and we’ve been hiding it from you.’

Elle didn’t deny or confirm it. She just didn’t say anything.

‘Am I right?’

Elle got out of bed and began getting dressed. ‘Look, I’m actually not too bothered, either way. I really have to get up and get going on those financials—’

‘Oh, for goodness’ sake, Elle. Get off your high horse for one minute and let’s just talk the way we used to.’

‘OK,’ said Elle. She didn’t know how to feel about this newer more direct Penny. She almost felt like the younger sibling under her sister’s stern gaze.

‘Rob and I are good friends,’ her sister continued. ‘He knows what it’s like to have stayed in town when the rest of your circle went away, and wonder at times if you’ve done the right thing, if you might not have been happier somewhere else.’

‘You could still go, Penny. You know that you don’t have to stay here . . .’

‘No, it’s not like that. I love it here. But of course you do wonder about these things occasionally.’

Elle nodded. She understood. She was, in fact, going through an extended and rather unnerving period of ‘wondering about things’, particularly since she had arrived back in Mulberry Bay.

‘But Rob understood, whenever I had doubts. He went through the same thing and it helped to talk it out. And you know that he and Mum always got on like a house on fire. Truly Elle, you might not understand it, but he was like a son to her. Always willing to help with fixing things up or send some of his crew when he was too busy. Or if ever they needed to lift furniture or something and Dad couldn’t do it on his own.’

Elle nodded again. She felt a bit like a puppet. Why was Penny drawing this out? Elle wished she would just get it over with. She and Rob had ‘connected’, fallen in love, whatever . . . she got it.

‘So yes, we’ve seen lots of Rob around here over the years. He’s been a good friend to our family. But that’s all.’