‘That’s fair enough.’ He gripped the pitchfork. ‘I hope you find your folks soon, because it’s a shame that this is stopping you from moving forward.’

Smiling gratefully, Roz thanked him for his understanding, adding. ‘If things had been different…’ before turning on her heel and hastening back to the cottage.

Watching her go, Bernie wondered if someone had said something to change Roz’s mind. If so, he couldn’t think what. He knew that she had been confused about her relationship and feelings towards Felix when she came to Hollybank; perhaps she felt the same thing was happening between herself and Bernie, as she had suggested. He cast his mind back over the last few weeks. Before Suzie’s arrival he had spent all his time with Roz, but since Suzie had come on the scene they had spent little time together. Had this caused distance between them? He’d taken Roz out for a couple of meals, and evening walks, and even though she smiled, she always seemed distracted. He had deliberately taken things slowly so that he could be sure she was genuinely keen on him and that she wasn’t with him on the rebound.

He looked over to where Suzie stood talking with her mother, something which he had never seen her do before. It looked very much as though the two had finally put their differences aside and made amends. Could that have anything to do with Roz’s decision? He felt his stomach drop into his boots. Had Roz only shown interest in him so that he would agree to teach Suzie? Surely not! Unable to believe that Roz was capable of something so heinous, he immediately dismissed the thought from his mind. He was adding two and two together and coming up with five. He knew that Roz had been to see her old pal Mabel, so perhaps the other girl, who had known Roz when she was dating Felix, had warned her friend to take things one step at a time. He felt a sense of relief. That must be the answer. Relieved that he hadn’t got Roz wrong, he headed back into the barn, to carry on with his work.

Roz watched Suzie chatting merrily with Joyce. She didn’t blame her friend for not questioning Suzie’s motives, but Roz knew better and this was all part of the act, only Suzie was in for a surprise if she thought she was going to set the cat amongst the pigeons as far as Roz and Bernie were concerned.

Suzie beamed at her mother, who was talking about their future with enthusiasm. Only she wasn’t beaming because she actually wanted a future with her mother, but because she knew her suspicions to be right. Roz had been moping around the farm ever since she had begun the charade with Bernie. So, if Roz’s plan to visit Glasfryn had filled her with euphoria it could only mean one thing – Felix must be going too, which was why Roz had gone over to dampen her relationship with Bernie. Suzie had seen the way he was watching Roz from the hay barn; he had clearly just received some unwanted news. So that was Roz and Bernie’s friendship at an end; all she had to do now was find a way to destroy Felix and Roz’s relationship, and she thought she had the very idea.