Ellen had had a trying day. After Gina had knocked over the barrow, she’d had to shovel up all the dead flowers and the weeds again, and then there’d been a sudden shower of rain while she was tying up some roses and she’d got uncomfortably wet. Now, this afternoon, Gina was queening about on the lawn, playing with the puppy while she, Ellen, was standing on a plank in the damp herbaceous border next to it, weeding with a long hoe.

Coco came snuffling round to see what she was doing and, instead of calling him away, Gina encouraged him to make a nuisance of himself.

‘Can’t you just go away while I’m working here?’ Ellen said eventually.

‘Are you talking to me or the dog?’ Gina asked innocently.

‘Well, the blessed dog, obviously,’ Ellen snapped. ‘I wouldn’t expect an intelligent reply from you.’

‘No need to adopt a tone,’ said Gina. ‘I’m just doing my job, same as you.’

‘Job! What kind of a job is it, for goodness’ sake, gallivanting around with a puppy?’

‘Same as yours. You answer to Uncle Tom and I answer to Mrs Stellion, so I reckon that makes it a proper job, Nell, so you can get down off your high horse.’

Ellen bit back her retort and took a deep breath. Surely Gina and the dog wouldn’t be out here for long. She’d just ignore them. But it proved hard to ignore a mischievous and playful puppy when he started chewing the gloves Ellen had taken off and left on the newly cut grass because her hands were hot. Gina just stood watching and giggling.

‘Just go, can’t you, Gina? Why do you have to play here?’

‘All right, we’re going. No need to get all worked up. We’ve enough of that at home with Dad,’ she said. ‘Come on, Coco …’ She fastened his lead back on his collar. ‘We’ve got the rest of the garden to play in, haven’t we, boy? Let’s go and see how those strawberries are getting on.’

‘Don’t you dare let Coco go among those strawberry plants,’ said Ellen. ‘He’ll only wee on them and ruin them.’

‘I was only joking, Nell. You should see your face, though,’ said Gina, and, laughing loudly, led the puppy away.

‘How did you get on?’ asked Tom when Ellen had finished a good area of the border and come back to the sheds for a cup of tea.

‘All right, I suppose. I’ve done about a third, but I could have managed better without Gina and that dog messing about round me.’ Ellen wasn’t a habitual taleteller but she didn’t want to have to put up with Gina and Coco every morning and afternoon. Gina had a cruel streak and knew instinctively how to wind people up.

‘I’ll have a word,’ said Tom.