‘Don’t tell me, you haven’t organized anything at all, not even for the weekend?’

‘Not yet,’ he said, avoiding eye contact by focusing on folding the cloth into a neat square, ‘but it’s all in hand.’ He added, nodding at a notebook which looked as though it had a few scribbles in it.

It didn’t look much like a properly thought out promotional strategy to me, but I did have one suggestion that could swell his coffers a little.

‘Well, as we’re on the topic of increasing revenue,’ I carried on, trying to smile winningly, ‘I was wondering—’

‘Were we talking about that?’ he cut in.

‘Yes,’ I said, ‘sort of.’

‘Go on then.’

‘I was wondering,’ I said again, ‘if there might be a possibility of you letting me stay on in the cottage for longer than two weeks, should I decide I want to.’

It was a reckless suggestion, given that I’d only stayed for one night so far, but I wanted to know if it might be a possibility. I was the most organized, disciplined and scheduled person I knew (if you discounted my father and at that moment I did), and it was going to take me some time to shake off the shackles and chill out.

I had some potentially life-changing decisions to make, as well as Mum’s diary to read and come to terms with, and the two-week timebomb ticking in my ears wasn’t the sort of pressure I needed on this occasion. As a rule, it would have been ideal, but this trip to Wynmouth was all about breaking the rules.

‘Well,’ said Sam, as he rubbed his hand around the back of his neck, ‘I’m really not sure about that.’

‘In your email,’ I hastily reminded him, ‘you told me that you were taking the place off the holiday market, didn’t you? Madness really, as you’re heading into the summer season . . .’

‘Yes,’ he conceded, ‘I did, but that was because—’

‘So, it’s just going to be sitting there empty anyway.’

‘I suppose,’ he shrugged. ‘Although I am planning to—’

‘I’m talking about a month at least,’ I interrupted, throwing caution to the wind and imagining four whole stress-free weeks stretching ahead of me, ‘and I’m prepared to pay the going rental rate. More than that, if necessary.’

Sam looked a little taken aback.

‘Don’t make a decision now,’ I said, hopping down from the bar stool I had been perched on and making for the door. ‘Have a think about it, and I’ll come back and pay you in a few days.’

‘That rather sounds like you’re assuming I’ll say yes,’ he called after me.

‘I have a feeling,’ I responded, as I stepped outside and breathed in the fresh sea air, ‘that you won’t be able to resist.’

Chapter 5

Chapter 5