‘It’s getting really foggy out there,’ said Claire, shaking off her coat. ‘Not so bad in town, but you can’t see three feet in front of you on the hills.’

Introductions followed, and those few awkward moments before drinks were fetched and everyone settled down again. Liz clutched at his hand and held it firmly on the table, intertwining her fingers with his. To Cooper, it felt more like a proprietary gesture in the face of a rival than a need for reassurance. He saw Claire notice it, and felt oddly uncomfortable.

‘It’s lovely to meet you,’ said Claire to Liz. ‘I’ve heard such a lot about you.’

Cooper almost spilt his beer. He never talked about Liz to his family very much; in fact, he’d sometimes had to resist persistent cross-questioning from Claire. But Liz laughed, as if the idea of being gossiped about pleased her.

‘I’m glad you spared the time,’ she said. ‘Ben always tells me you’re really busy.’

‘That’s true.’

Claire Cooper often complained of being too busy for anything. But that might change now that she was closing down her craft shop in Bold Lane. The ‘To Let’ signs were already up, and she was letting the stock run down. Last time Ben had called in to see her, there were almost no healing crystals or dream catchers to be seen anywhere, though the aroma of sandalwood remained, and would probably persist for ever. He wondered if Claire had ever sold citronella oil, which was used by hunt saboteurs to distract hounds, as well as being a perfume and natural insect repellent.

‘So what are you going to do now, instead of running the shop?’ he asked.

‘Well, I’m getting a job,’ said Claire.

‘Oh, a New Age sort of job, I suppose?’

‘Ben, the shop was never “New Age”. It was just a little bit alternative, that’s all.’

‘Too alternative for the people of Edendale. It never made much money, did it?’

‘Profit isn’t everything.’

Ben laughed. ‘Try telling that to Matt.’

Claire looked from Ben to Liz. ‘You ought to go and visit Bridge End Farm. You haven’t been for a long time, have you?’

‘Well, a week or two, perhaps.’

‘Longer than that, Ben. The girls are missing you.’

‘Did they say so?’

‘Yes, actually. Amy particularly. She asked if you were ever coming again.’

Cooper thought he’d always enjoyed a close relationship with his two nieces, Amy and Josie. He was shocked to hear they didn’t think he was visiting them enough, that he might even have forgotten about them.

‘I’ll go this Friday,’ he said.

Liz gripped his hand more tightly. ‘Don’t forget we’re going out Friday night.’

‘Oh, right.’

Cooper remembered Liz talking about what they should do at the weekend. She wanted to go to the Dog and Parrot to see a band that was playing there this Friday, Midlife Krisis. Cooper had never heard of them.

‘It doesn’t matter, if you don’t want to.’

‘We’ll talk about it,’ he said.