If I didn’t know better, I’d think Jack was changing the subject.

‘Darling!’ My agent greeted me on the video call, taking a noisy slurp of coffee as she did so. ‘This is just wonderful. Couldn’t be better publicity.’

I gave her a slightly bemused look.

‘Sorry? What couldn’t be better publicity?’

‘You and that gorgeous man of yours, the whole love nest thing. And I just wanted to say,’ her voice lost its theatrical bent for a moment, ‘I really am thrilled for you. No one deserves happiness more than you. God knows you waited long enough for it.’

‘I’m sorry, Zinnia. I really don’t know what you’re talking about.’

She frowned at me for a moment before holding up a newspaper, showing a picture of me at the manor with Jack leaning down towards me, his hand resting at my back. In reality, it been an innocent gesture, him just saying something in conversation over the noise of the chatter surrounding us, but looking at it in black and white, it was easy to see how it could be misconstrued as something with far more meaning. My eyes drifted to the headline:

Is tragic romance author about to finally get happy ending?

‘Oh my God. Is that today’s paper?’

‘It is. Have you not seen it?’

‘I don’t get a paper.’

‘Oh, it’s all over the internet as well. I’m surprised you haven’t seen it.’

I groaned and dropped my head into my hands. ‘I’ve been beavering away writing all day, I haven’t even been on the web. Oh, this is awful.’

My agent gave me a look. ‘How is this awful? Firstly, you’re clearly out of the house, which is a good step. Secondly, you are with an utterly gorgeous man who looks like he was made for sin and to break hearts. He’s one of your iconic heroes come to life. So far, I’m not seeing any downside.’

‘He really isn’t. He’s just a friend from childhood. My brother’s friend, actually.’

‘Even more romantic – childhood sweethearts!’

‘Definitely not childhood sweethearts. You were right about the fact that he knows how to break a heart.’

She raised a heavily pencilled brow in interest.

‘Not mine,’ I hastened to add quickly. ‘But most of the young women in the village and some of the older ones too. I can’t believe this. Why can’t people keep their nose out of other people’s business? See, if I hadn’t gone out, none of this would have happened.’

‘Darling, you can’t stay locked behind those four walls forever. And who cares if people are talking about you? They’ll be talking about someone else tomorrow, believe me. In the meantime, this is great publicity for the upcoming film release and your books.’

‘This is my life, Zinnia. I don’t want it spread all over the papers, especially when it’s untrue. It was bad enough when I had my first big success and everyone dug up the circumstances of Mike’s death.’