The day of the first lunch club rolled around quickly. Anna had pinned the poster to her door on Friday morning, hoping that some of the tourists that made it as far as the Fishergirl’s Luck would be intrigued enough to make a return visit.

‘I’m sorry I can’t be here,’ Liam told her again, as they stood at the harbour early on Saturday morning after he’d dropped off the fish she’d asked for.

‘It’s fine,’ she said. ‘I wouldn’t have expected you to be. I hope you have a good time. Be careful up there.’

He kissed her. ‘Text me,’ he said. ‘Let me know how it went.’

‘I will. Now go,’ she said. ‘You’ve got places to be and I need to prepare this fish. Have a great time, be safe, and I’ll see you sometime next week.’

Anna listened to the growl of the skiff’s engine as she hefted the crate up, ready to walk it back to the Fishergirl’s Luck. As she turned she saw an efficient-looking woman in a dark blue suit and low heels with a clipboard under one arm walking cautiously down the road into the village. She saw Anna and smiled.

‘Good morning, I wonder if you can help me. I’m looking for a place called the Fishergirl’s Luck.’

‘Oh,’ Anna said, in surprise. ‘That’s me. I mean, that’s my house. Is it me you’re looking for?’

The woman looked her up and down, her gaze landing on the crate Anna carried. ‘My name is Belinda Turner,’ she said. ‘I’m the health and safety examiner responsible for eateries in this area. We’ve had a report of an illegal restaurant operating in Crovie. At the Fishergirl’s Luck.’

Anna’s stomach turned over and then sank into her toes. ‘Oh, God. That isn’t – it’s not a restaurant.’

‘But you are selling food?’

‘No – not really. People aren’t obligated to pay if they don’t want to.’

The woman gave her a steady look. ‘But you do invite donations?’

Anna’s mouth ran dry. ‘I – well, I was planning to, to help to cover costs. Look, I know what I’m doing. I’m a trained chef, I have all my personal health and safety documentation up to date.’

‘That’s good,’ Belinda Turner said. ‘I’d like to see that, if I may. And the areas in which you’ll be serving and preparing food. I’m sure you understand – we’ve had a complaint, I can’t ignore it.’

‘Of course.’ Anna began to walk along the sea wall, feeling as if she were heading towards the gallows.

‘My goodness,’ the woman said, when she saw the Fishergirl’s Luck. ‘Is it this place? I’ve seen it on visits to Crovie before and always wondered what it was like inside!’