I was beginning to wish, given that the pair were still in touch, that she’d made more of an effort to find out for herself rather than rope me in but, given her friendly tone, she obviously still hadn’t found out that Sam and I had kissed at the party, so that was something to be thankful for.

‘Before we talk about that,’ I said, ‘can I ask what’s going on with you and Sam? I saw him the other day and he said you weren’t talking.’

‘Oh,’ she said, waving the question away and making her many silver and gold bangles jangle, ‘it’s nothing. Just a silly disagreement. I’d made up my mind to do something and he said I shouldn’t. It’s all forgotten now,’ she went on, ‘although of course, it’s meant that I haven’t had a chance to find out what’s going on with him and Joe, so I hope you’ve come up with something.’

I sucked at the paper straw in my lemonade and swirled the ice around.

‘Oh well done,’ she said, sounding excited, ‘you can’t have gone that colour for nothing. Spill the beans, Tess!’

At the point when Sophie had sat down and told me how brilliantly her business, and everyone else’s in Wynmouth, had been faring this summer, I had pretty much made up my mind to keep quiet about Joe’s impending deal. After all, it was nothing to do with me, but Sophie’s words had made me doubt my decision and as Joe clearly still had feelings for Hope and they were still friends, I reasoned that she was the one person I could tell.

‘I have found something out,’ I confessed. ‘Let’s go down to the beach and I’ll tell you.’

Hope had thought my cloak-and-dagger suggestion was excessive, but as I explained what I had seen and overheard, her steps faltered and her eyes grew wider and wider.

‘And you’re absolutely sure?’ she asked, as we sat on the sand out of earshot of the few visitors to the beach.

‘Yes,’ I nodded. ‘One hundred per cent.’

‘The paperwork was definitely current?’

‘Yes,’ I reiterated, ‘dated this summer, and there was no doubting the phone call. He was standing practically right next to me, so I didn’t mishear any of that.’

We looked behind us to where the land in question sat atop the cliffs, currently undisturbed. I tried to imagine how the view would change when it was covered in rows and rows of caravans and the local roads were choked with cars trying to get to them.

‘But this could ruin everything,’ said Hope, sounding tearful.