‘So?’ Poppy asked, looking out to where Felix and Jack were spinning the children around in the garden. ‘Do you still think he’s hot all these years later?’

‘Of course not,’ I said, dismissively. ‘It was just a teenage crush. Pretty much all the girls in the village had one on him at one time or another.’

I could feel her eyes boring into me as I kneaded the biscuit dough. ‘What?’ I asked without looking up.

‘It’s OK, you know?’

I pushed a lock of hair that had come away from my clip back from my forehead with the side of my hand.

‘What’s OK?’

‘To have feelings for someone else. Mike wouldn’t have expected you to stay alone forever. It’s the last thing he would have wanted.’

‘Surely it’s more about what I want now, though, isn’t it?’ I replied, sharper than I intended.

Poppy sat back.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. I just don’t want you or anybody thinking there’s more to this than there is. Yes, Jack is good-looking – I’m not blind, but neither am I interested in another relationship. And bearing in mind the state he saw me in the other morning, I think we can pretty much categorically say he’s not interested in a relationship with me either.’

‘Oooh? What state did he see you in?’ Poppy leaned back in.

‘Calm down.’ I laughed. ‘I was half asleep and forgot he was here, so I wandered out into the garden without brushing my hair in my ratty old dressing gown, hairy legs and those little welly shoe things.’

‘You never know, that might be his sort of thing,’ Poppy replied, a mischievous grin on her face.

‘I don’t think a leopard changes its spots that much, do you?’

‘I don’t know, but I do know he’s done a lot of growing up while he’s been away.’

I thought back to the philosophical words spoken in previous days and couldn’t help but agree. However, there was still no way I would entertain any thought of having a relationship with Jack Coulsdon-Hart. I had my routine, I had my books, and I had my family. That was all I needed. I’d tried something else in the past and I wouldn’t – couldn’t – go through that pain ever again.

‘Are you happy?’ Poppy watched me rolling out the dough on the cool surface.

‘Yes, of course.’

And I was happy. Wasn’t I?

‘Darling! You absolutely must go!’ Zinnia, my agent, was waving a finger at me, this one bedecked with a large sapphire ring, through the screen.

‘No, I absolutely must not, Zinnia. I don’t do these things. Remember, we talked about this. Several times.’

‘I know, darling. It’s really not your thing and I do understand, honestly. But this is different. You have to see that? This is a premiere with big Hollywood names. You can’t turn that down.’