‘You’re not bad,’ said Dexter, which Kate realised was his way of telling her that, in barmaiding terms, she was phenomenal. ‘How about tonight?’

As Kate piled up the washed and dried ashtrays, she caught sight of Jake and his daughter making their way back through the pub. ‘Fine,’ she said absently, her heart leaping with foolish anticipation. Along with most of the pub regulars, Jake and Sophie were heading over to the cricket pitch to watch the match being played out between Ashcombe’s first (and only) eleven and the team from neighbouring Monkton Combe. Not wanting to go home, Kate was counting on Jake to invite her along, not because she fancied him or anything, purely because it was the kind of sociable, easygoing offer he would make. Plus, of course, it would be interesting to hear more about his views on Maddy’s liaison with Kerr.

‘Seven o’clock we open,’ said Dexter.

‘Soph,’ Jake called over his shoulder, ‘come along.’

‘I’m off then. See you back here at seven.’ Hastily squeezing past Dexter, Kate just managed to reach the front door at the same time as Jake, Sophie and Bean.

‘Hi. Was that fun?’ Jake greeted her with that devastating surfer’s smile of his and Kate’s stomach promptly disappeared.

‘Not so bad. I’m working again tonight.’ She prayed she didn’t sound as hopelessly out of practice as she felt. ‘Um .. . going up to the cricket?’

‘That’s the plan. Soph, stay on the pavement,’ Jake instructed as Sophie and the little dog raced ahead, ‘and don’t let Bean off the lead. That animal’s a nightmare with cricket balls,’ he told Kate. ‘It’s her life’s ambition to disembowel one.’

Rather awkwardly, they were by this time outside the pub and Jake still hadn’t invited her to join them. Out of sheer desperation, Kate heard herself saying hurriedly, ‘Plenty of interest in Maddy’s new chap then, by the sound of things.’

Jake raised an eyebrow, then shrugged.

‘You said your mum wasn’t thrilled,’ Kate persisted, pulling a face. ‘I’d have called that the understatement of the year.’

‘Marcella’s been talking about it, has she? Well, I suppose she was bound to tell Estelle. Of course, she doesn’t approve,’ said Jake, ‘that goes without saying. But Maddy’s over eighteen. You can’t stop her doing what she wants, even if you know she’s making a big mistake.’

They were starting to move now, heading down Main Street towards the war memorial, from where she could either turn left up Gypsy Lane or carry on round to the right with Jake.

‘I have to say, I’m impressed,’ Kate went on, to keep the momentum going. ‘Last week, all I did was mention his name and Marcella went completely ballistic. I thought her head was going to explode. Of course, maybe she’s had time to get used to the idea now.’

Next to her Jake slowed, gave her an odd sideways look. Casually he said, ‘What did you say to Marcella?’

‘Just that I thought I’d seen him driving past our house. It was completely innocent,’ -Kate insisted. ‘I had no idea that anything was going on between him and Maddy, I only wondered where he was living because I suppose I’d assumed he was still in London. Anyway, as soon as I mentioned Kerr’s name, Marcella went bananas.’

‘ Kerr?’ Jake stopped dead in his tracks. He swung round, his green eyes boring into hers. ‘Kerr McKinnon?’

Confused, Kate stammered, ‘W-well, yes, but you already knew that. Oh God.’ She felt the blood drain from her face in horror. ‘You didn’t know? But all that stuff about Marcella not being thrilled—’

‘All Marcella knows is that Maddy’s seeing a married man,’ Jake said soberly. ‘That’s what she isn’t thrilled about. If she found out it was Kerr McKinnon – well, heads would definitely explode.

How do you know about this anyway?’ He gave her a sharp look. ‘Who told you?’

Rather wishing she hadn’t raised the subject now, but at the same time experiencing a tiny flicker of schadenfreude, Kate said, ‘I saw them together.’ Then, because nobody liked a peeping Tom, she added hastily, ‘In his car.’

‘But they were definitely together?’

‘Oh yes. Absolutely.’ The image of Maddy and Kerr cavorting semi-naked on the lawn was indelibly imprinted on her mind.

‘Right.’ Jake’s expression was grim.

Clearly he was intending to confront Maddy, and not in a supportive brotherly way. Beginning to envisage the repercussions, Kate said, ‘Look, don’t involve me in this. I’m not exactly Maddy’s favourite person as it is.’

‘Right now, she isn’t my favourite person either,’ said Jake.

I’m serious.’ Kate clutched his arm. ‘I’ve just started working at the pub, this is important to me. Don’t tell Maddy it was me who told you,’ she begged Jake. ‘Promise.’

He looked at her, then nodded. ‘OK, I promise. You did a good job in the pub today, by the way.’

‘Thanks, I—’

‘Sophie, get down from there,’ Jake yelled, spotting his daughter making her wobbly way along the top of the bridge over the River Ash. ‘If you fall in I’m not rescuing you. Look, I’ll see you around,’ he told Kate distractedly, setting off up Ashcombe Road and leaving her standing by the memorial.

‘Yes, fine. Bye.’ Attempting to sound casual but actually feeling bereft and abandoned, Kate watched him go. Oh well, cricket was boring anyway.

She just hoped Jake wouldn’t forget his promise.

Chapter 23

As she pushed open the front door of Snow Cottage at ten o’clock that evening, Maddy realised that she’d at last discovered the true meaning of the expression dancing on air. She actually knew how it felt, and it was as addictive as any drug. Once you’d danced on air, how could you ever be satisfied with trudging on boring old ground again?

‘Good time?’ Jake glanced up from his computer screen.

‘Not so bad.’ Maddy beamed, flinging her car keys onto the dresser and suppressing the urge to do a little jig to show him just how deliriously happy she was. A little jig several inches above floor level, needless to say. David Blaine, watch out.

Stretching and leaning back on his chair, Jake raked his fingers through his dishevelled blond hair.

‘His wife’s been here.’

‘What?’ Halfway to the kitchen to put the kettle on, Maddy turned. ‘Whose wife?’

‘Your man’s. Remember?’ Jake prompted. ‘The married one you’ve been seeing? Big mistake.’

He shook his head sorrowfully. ‘Really. It’s always bad news when the wife finds out.’

Maddy was beginning to wonder if she’d stepped into a parallel universe. This was like falling asleep during one film on TV and waking up in the middle of another. Bemused, she said, ‘What did she look like?’

‘Funny, I’d have thought you’d’ve been a bit more shocked,’ Jake said idly. ‘Horrified, even. Almost as if you can’t believe what you’re hearing because you know for a fact that this chap of yours doesn’t have a wife.’

‘OK, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m off to bed.’ Something dodgy was going on here; loftily refusing to join in, Maddy did an about-turn and headed for the stairs.

‘Oh no you don’t.’ Jake’s hand shot out, his fingers curling round her wrist as she attempted to slip past him. ‘And keep your voice down, because Sophie’s asleep.’

‘I’m not shouting.’

‘We haven’t started yet.’

Maddy went hot and cold all over. Surely he couldn’t know. They’d been so careful. But what other explanation could there be for the look in Jake’s eyes? And why was she even bothering to wonder, when she was clearly about to find out?

‘Go on then, let’s get it over with.’ Defiantly she wrenched her wrist free and turned to face him.

‘Kerr McKinnon,’ said Jake coldly. ‘Are you out of your mind?’

Oh God.

‘Who told you?’ Maddy demanded.

‘Never mind that.’

‘ Who?’

‘ I’m not telling you.’ Firmly, Jake shook his head. ‘I gave my word I wouldn’t and don’t change the subject. Have you considered Marcella for one moment? Can you even comprehend what this would do to her?’

‘She isn’t going to find out,’ said Maddy, feeling sick. ‘Because you aren’t going to tell her.’

‘I found out, though, didn’t I? I bloody wish I hadn’t, but I did. Because secrets don’t stay secrets around here.’ Jake took a gulp of cold coffee and grimaced. ‘You’re going to have to finish with him.

You know that, don’t you?’

In the space of five minutes, Maddy discovered, one of the most idyllic days of her life was turning into one of the very worst. And she knew who she had to thank for it too. Nuala, unable to work, had spent the afternoon in the Angel knocking back drink after drink. From there she had headed on down to watch the cricket. Keen to get the lowdown on Maddy’s married man, Jake had paid her a bit of flirtatious attention and in turn Nuala, her tongue by this time thoroughly loosened, would have tipsily confided in him. It was all so obvious, so predictable. Nuala had always been a blabbermouth.

‘Where are you going?’ demanded Jake.

In the split second before the front door slammed, Maddy shouted, ‘To sort something out.’

Nuala was upstairs in the living room wrestling with her long-sleeved T-shirt when she heard footsteps on the landing. With her top pulled half inside out over her head and her bra on show, all she could do was call out in a high-pitched voice, ‘Who’s that?’ and pray it wasn’t an after-hours gas man come to read the meter.

‘Me.’

Maddy. Well, that was good news. ‘Perfect timing,’ Nuala said happily. ‘I’m completely stuck. Can you give me a hand getting this off? Oh, and I can’t undo my bra either.’

‘How could you?’

Blindly, Nuala turned in the direction of Maddy’s voice. ‘What are you on about? I can’t, can I?

That’s why I’m asking you to do it for me.’

But the expected help didn’t materialise. Instead she heard Maddy say coldly, ‘You just couldn’t keep quiet, could you? I asked you not to tell anyone but you couldn’t resist it.’

Trapped within the confines of her T-shirt, Nuala’s face burned with indignation. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘I really thought I could trust you,’ Maddy retaliated furiously, ‘which just goes to show how stupid I am. You told Jake about Kerr and now, thanks to you, everything’s ruined.’

‘ I didn’t! I didn’t tell Jake! Oh, for God’s sake.’ With her good arm, Nuala managed at last to wrench the T-shirt back down over her head. Did he tell you I did?’

‘You and Juliet are the only ones who know. Juliet would never breathe a word.’

This was true; Juliet made sphinxes look garrulous. Appalled, Nuala recalled lying on the grass all but ignoring the cricket, far more interested in chatting away to Jake. Let’s face it, she’d had a fair few drinks this afternoon — oh God, had she somehow managed to give the game away without even realising it?

‘I-I’m sure I didn’t,’ Nuala faltered, but it was too late; Maddy had seen the worried look in her eyes.

‘You mean you didn’t do it on purpose, it just slipped out,’ she hissed. ‘Well, thanks a lot, I won’t forget this in a hurry. I won’t be telling you anything in future that I don’t want broadcast all over town.

In fact, I probably won’t be telling you anything at all.’

Kate was serving large gins to a tweedy weekend couple when Maddy stomped back out through the bar without so much as a glance in her direction. Ten minutes later, as she was fetching fresh supplies of peanuts from the storeroom, she heard a voice plaintively calling her name from halfway up the stairs.

‘What is it?’ Popping her head round the corner, Kate saw Nuala looking pale and subdued.

‘Um, sorry, is Dexter busy?’

‘He’s shouting at the washer-upper. Want me to fetch him for you?’

‘Oh crikey, no, it’s not urgent. I just, well, I can’t get out of my T-shirt.’

Plonking the cards of dry- and honey-roasted peanuts back down on the shelf, Kate checked over her shoulder that no one was waiting to be served.

‘Here, I’ll give you a hand.’ As she reached the top of the stairs, she saw that Nuala had been crying. ‘Hey, are you OK?’

‘Fine.’ Nuala nodded falteringly, then shook her head as she reached the sanctuary of the living room.

‘Sorry, it just seems so pathetic, not being able to take off your own clothes. All I want to do is go to bed

— oh bugger, and now I need another tissue ..

Grabbing the box of Kleenex on the coffee table, Kate freed one just in time for Nuala to catch the tears dripping from her reddened nose.