They set off and ten minutes later Ella walked up towards the grand entrance of Starcross Manor and took in the beauty all around her. ‘Amazing,’ she murmured, staring out across the lake. It was stunning and the whole place took her breath away. She carried on walking up the driveway that swept into a wide circle with an ornate fountain in the centre, with the impressive manor house standing proudly behind it. The whole place reminded Ella of a royal palace. Huge stone steps led to the large double oak doors within a broad porch of stone pillars and ivy clung to the walls of the building. She followed the path at the side of the lake which led her and McCartney through lush green grass which incorporated formal gardens, a deer park, woodlands and a wildflower meadow. The woodland path led her towards Primrose Park where Ella acknowledged a couple of dog walkers before climbing over the stile and following the lane back towards the main High Street. Everywhere was peaceful and calm and this was exactly what Ella needed in her life right now.

As she turned the corner and could see the village shop in the distance, Ella spotted Roman in Bette, slowly driving up the High Street towards her. Taking her hand out of her pocket, she was about to wave to him when the Land Rover came to an abrupt halt. She watched as the same girl in the photograph that she’d just seen on Facebook flung open the passenger-side door and started screaming at Roman. ‘It’s you who has the problem. You need to sort yourself out. Leave me alone!’

Megan began to walk away and Ella watched her stumble on her high heels, before leaning against the wall and whipping her shoes off her feet. It was strange to see a young woman striding along the High Street in the early afternoon barefoot. Roman was up and out of Bette, looking fraught, but Megan was gone, disappeared within seconds, leaving Roman throwing his hands up in the air. A moment later he was back in the driver’s seat and Bette took off like a rocket up the High Street in Ella’s direction. She quickly shielded herself behind the red post-box in the street, suddenly not wanting to be seen. Roman’s face was like thunder as he drove past, his eyes firmly fixed on the road in front of him.

Ella turned Megan’s words over in her head… ‘It’s you who has the problem.’ What did she mean by that?