She picked up a tube of white paint and squeezed some onto her palette, then mixed in a smidgeon of cadmium red. Picking out a lining brush, she added a small arched tracery of palest dawn pink. It looked a little like hope … or light at the end of the tunnel.

Chapter Sixteen

To Laurel’s surprise, after her frenzy of anger had spent itself on the – now ruined – canvas, she’d settled down to her work in progress as the dark night eventually gave way to day and the sun burned off the mist. The ebullient joy of Everyday Woman dancing calmed her. The basic figure was now complete and Laurel was pleased at the way she’d captured the instant the woman, mid-dance step, lost contact with the earth.

At about ten a.m., she cleaned her brushes and texted Grady. Sorry to run out on you last night. Treat you to a pint at The Three Fishes tonight? xx When there was no immediate answer she went indoors, conscious that it was Sunday and Rea might appreciate some company, having been abandoned all day yesterday. Daisy’s music thumped from upstairs as she entered the warmth of the house and she found Rea writing Christmas cards at the kitchen table. A completed stack stood at her elbow. With a pang, Laurel saw the evidence of nurtured threads of friendship, despite her sister hardly seeing a soul, nowadays. Rea’s sweet nature had always drawn people to her and the flood of Christmas cards from old colleagues, past school friends and villagers had already half-filled the tinsel Rea had strung around the hall. However, the sum of her sister’s recent social life was a visit from Angel and Miranda, squeezed in between Christmas shopping and kids’ school concerts, and the walk to Gabe’s paddock.

Rea glanced up and smiled. ‘Aunt Terri’s been on the phone. She does want to come for Christmas. Isn’t that great? She wondered if she could come early and spend longer with us than usual. I asked her if she wouldn’t be seeing her friend Opal for at least part of the festive season but she said not this year so I said we’d love to have her. Is that OK? She’s a bit down and thinks the simple life of the village might cheer her up.’

Laurel wasn’t finding life in the village simple. It was damned complicated. She smothered a yawn and headed for the coffee machine. ‘Of course! It’ll be great to see her because I never got over to Peterborough for a visit. It’s not like her to be down.’

‘That’s what I thought.’ Rea signed a card with a flourish and slipped it into a red envelope. ‘Daisy wants to put up the Christmas tree this afternoon.’