Grady ran his hand over his clean-shaven jaw. He was lean, not the kind of man who needed a beard to show everyone where his jaw was. He’d grown from gangling boy to beautifully put together man. Hands sexy, capable and strong. Eyes intelligent, with a lurking humour. ‘I’m not close friends with Rea. I never had a reason to call round until Daisy started turning up at some of the same art groups as me and I occasionally helped her carry something home. I suppose it took a while to catch on to just how isolated Rea had become and that it’s affecting Daisy.’

‘Rea has become more anxious.’ Laurel sighed. ‘Until the last few months, she seemed able to force herself out for certain things. She managed to get to parents’ evening at Daisy’s school but she was a right state afterwards. She called me about it, in tears.’ Laurel remembered her comment yesterday about villagers being up in one another’s business and shame washed over her. How could she have been so judgey when she’d stayed away and left Rea to cope? And in the few days she’d been back, when no one had called on Rea apart from the business-like visit from Mac and Grady, Laurel hadn’t even questioned where Rea’s friends were. The sigh she heaved made her chest hurt. ‘I’ve let Rea down. Let her become isolated. When Mum died, Rea put her arms around me and told everyone, “We’ll manage. We’ll be fine.” I took it for granted but she was still a teenager herself.’

For several seconds he was silent.

‘I’d almost forgotten she used to be such a tiger as to refuse help after your mum died,’ he said. ‘A moment ago, I said “we’re not close friends” but I once knew her fairly well, through you. In those days, I was in and out of your house all the time.’ Regret flavoured his words.

Tilting back her head, she drank the rest of her coffee and skirted the point about how often he used to visit. ‘Before we lost Mum, Rea had talked about uni or travelling but instead she took a sales job to support me.’

He gave a disbelieving snort. ‘Are you hinting that you left so Rea could get on with her own life?’