I went back into the house, showered and dressed. After a couple of slices of toast and honey plus a second cup of tea, I went out to ask if they would like something to drink.

‘That’s very kind – mine’s a black coffee, two sugars, please. Lovely day for it, anyway!’ called Kenny from the apex. My heart was in my mouth as he hopped about with ease, tossing down the discarded, moss-covered reeds to reveal the wooden frame beneath. Suddenly he stopped, peering down with interest into the attic between the gaps in the now exposed wooden framework.

‘Ever been up in your loft? There’s no dividing wall between you and next door, you know.’

I didn’t know. We had never ventured into the loft space, but I’d always assumed there would be separate access.

‘Is there anything up there?’

‘Nothing much your side. An old roll of carpet and –’ he screwed up his eyes as he leaned forward ‘– looks like one of them dressmaker’s dummies. But it’s a proper treasure trove over the old lady’s bit. I reckon she must be one of them hoarders you hear about. It’s going to take us a while before we finish, so we’d best get the tarpaulin in place, just in case we have any rain in the next couple of weeks – don’t want anything getting ruined.’

My curiosity was piqued. I wondered what hidden delights lurked in Mrs Barley’s attic. I hadn’t actually been inside Rose Cottage, but from the bit I had seen through the front door and the French doors it looked immaculate, and I couldn’t imagine that it would be at all cluttered.

As if on cue, the old lady came out into the garden. Seeing me, she smiled.

‘Well, they’re off to a flying start,’ she said, raising her eyes towards the roof.

‘Kenny was saying he needs to put a cover over the frame, to protect your belongings in case we have rain. He says there’s quite a lot of stuff up there. I think the forecast is fine for the next few days, but it’ll take them longer than that to finish.’

Mrs Barley looked alarmed. ‘I can’t get up into the attic these days – I haven’t had the chance to sort it all out. I hadn’t thought about it in a long while, to tell the truth.’

‘I’m sure we could help you go through it. Maybe not at the moment, but after they’ve finished the work, if you’d like some help to clear it out …’

Her expression became suddenly stony. ‘I don’t expect you to be going through my stuff,’ she snapped. ‘You wouldn’t want me rummaging through all your possessions, would you?’

She turned and went back into the house, slamming the back door behind her. I stared after her. Kenny gave a throaty laugh.