On impulse, I dial the number on the business card in the file for the building company.

‘Hi,’ I say, excitement making my breath come short as a gruff voice answers, ‘I wondered if you could help me? I’m looking at getting a quote for a swimming pool…’

The builder remembers the house, and Caro (not such a surprise, really), and he asks me to send over my ideas via email. It’s not long before he gets back to me.

‘Yeah, your idea isn’t going to work, I’m afraid.’ He sounds apologetic and I try not to let my disappointment come through.

‘Really? What’s the problem?’

‘It’s too close to the house, to be honest. The site you’ve marked out is where the first soakaway is. The second soakaway is next to it, which means you don’t really have the space to fit a pool in there. You could do it further down the garden, but that makes access to the site a bit difficult. It’ll cost you.’

‘Oh. OK. Thank you for your help anyway.’ Despondent, I hang up, and re-roll the drawings. I tidy the file away, not wanting Rupert to know I’ve been in his office. I had been so thrilled by the idea, and so excited when Sadie had said that despite Rupert’s response, he would have loved it, and now it’s not going to work anyway. I’ll just have to find some other way to make things up to Rupert.

‘Bloody hell, Rupert, this is gorgeous.’ I crane my neck to peer out of the car window at the yellow stone cottage, as he pulls onto the wide drive.

‘Come on.’ Rupert hops out of the car and I race him to the front door, letting him catch me and kiss me until I am breathless and panting on the doorstep. ‘Let’s check out the bedroom.’ He waggles his eyebrows at me as he unlocks the heavy front door and pushes it open, and I follow him inside.