‘Good morning,’ sang Ella, sinking her teeth into the hot, buttery slice of granary bread. ‘Any news on Dolores?’ she asked, looking over at Fred, who was busy pecking at his food, his cage placed in the middle of the coffee table.

‘I was up with the larks, so I nipped down to see Hamish. The poor man looks exhausted. I offered to sort out the morning papers, but he assured me it was all under control. I think he wants to stay busy.’ Callie poured them both a mug of tea and sat down at the table outside on the balcony. ‘I’m not sure how many more mornings we can brave sitting outside.’ She pulled her cardigan tightly around her shoulders. ‘But Dolores has had a comfortable night,’ Callie continued. ‘Hamish said she’d undergone numerous tests and it turns out her blood pressure was low.’

‘Has she suffered from low blood pressure before?’ asked Ella, knowing that her own grandma suffered with her blood pressure.

Callie shook her head. ‘Not from what I know of, but Hamish put it down to old age. He got quite upset when he was talking to me this morning, choked up.’

‘Bless him! Does he need any help in the shop at all? I don’t mind helping out. You’re at work today, aren’t you?

‘I am, and I already offered your services, but he’s roped in Aggie and Martha this morning; you’ve not met them yet. Pop down and say hello. Martha is Isla’s grandma and lives up at Foxglove Farm with them, and Aggie is Fergus’s mum. Fergus goes out with Felicity and works at the farm…’

‘I’ve met Felicity, the girl in the teashop.’

‘That’s the one. You’ll like them both.’ Callie glanced up at the clock. ‘I’m due at work just after lunch, there’s a couple of meetings I have to be present at. I think Flynn is going to throw some more marketing ideas on the table.’

‘Fingers crossed that whatever Flynn comes up with, helps to boost business. Is Roman at work today?’ Ella’s thoughts turned back to his change in mood yesterday.

‘Day off today, I think.’

Ella tucked into another piece of toast and flicked through the newspaper on the table. Every news article she read was depressing; there didn’t seem to be anything good going on in the world at all. ‘They should just print a happy paper,’ Ella suggested as she leaned over the balcony. ‘It’s so quiet without Dolores downstairs.’

‘I was thinking the very same,’ agreed Callie.

‘Has Dolores ever married?’ Ella was thinking about the photo of Dolores with the prince, and the handwritten letter she’d received yesterday. Maybe she still had someone special in her life.