News of Justin's imminent departure spread around the village in no time and, as much as everyone liked Justin, the same words, or very similar, were on everybody's lips: 'Who's going to bake our bread and cakes when Justin leaves?'

The good news was, even the man himself had thought of that. It seemed he had a plan in place. It was just a pity he hadn't thought to tell Ella he'd been making all these plans.

'A cousin of mine's coming to take over,' he told Mia, when she went to get fresh bread the morning after he'd broken the news to Ella. 'She trained in Florence and she's been working in a pasticceria there for the last two years. Her cakes and pastries are going to be even more delicious than mine.'

Mia, and one or two of his other customers, commented that Florence was better known for its art than its baking, but Justin pointed out that baking was an art if done correctly and neither Mia nor anyone else felt they could argue with that.

'By the time Justin actually leaves,' Mia said, during breakfast two days later, 'everyone will be so keen to try his cousin's buns, they won't even notice he's gone.'

'I'll notice,' Ella said.

In spite of his behaviour, Ella was still seeing him. She'd told Mia that it would give her time to get used to the idea that he wouldn't be around. Mia wasn't sure it was a wise decision but it was Ella's life and if that was her choice, Mia would support her no matter what. And be there for her if things turned really sour. Justin, of course, seemed more than happy with this arrangement.

'Just promise me you won't have 'Goodbye sex',' Mia had said, when Ella had told her, and they'd both laughed at that. They were getting rather good at laughing over bad, sad, or totally mad situations these days.

'Of course you'll notice. But you can read Mattie's diaries with me until you get another book to edit.'

'Oh joy,' Ella said. 'I'm hardly able to contain my excitement.'

'You can help with my research, if you'd like to,' Gill offered. 'That'll keep you busy.'

'My cup runneth over,' Ella replied, staring at the breakfast muffin on her plate as if that were a work of art.

Mia nudged her arm. 'It'll take time to get over him, but you'll be okay. You said yourself that things were cooling off anyway. And look at me. I felt as if the world had been taken from me when Garrick left, but I'm doing fine.'

Ella frowned. 'You've been sitting in the attic for the last two days, reading a dead woman's diaries, and taking them to bed with you at night. Forgive me for saying so, but that's not my idea of doing fine. It doesn't exactly scream, single, thirty-three-year-old woman having the time of her life, to me.'

Mia grinned. 'That's because you're thirty-four. We thirty-three-year-olds know how to have a good time.'

Ella pulled a face. 'That just makes it worse. So what have you discovered from the diaries so far? Do you know why Mattie was ostracised?'

'Not yet. The diaries haven't got to that bit yet. She started them from her twelfth birthday and so far it's been all about her friends, family and schooling. I've been reading about her family on her mother's side. I already knew quite a bit about her dad's side because of my dad, but her mum's side were fairly wealthy it seems from reading about their lifestyle, and so prim and proper that, to quote Mattie, "if one could capture in a bottle, the air they exhale during one conversation, the laundress would have starch enough to last a week."'

'Does that mean they had bad breath?' Ella asked.

'It means they were of the straight-back and stiff-upper lip generation,' Gill said.

Ella tutted. 'I know what it means. I was joking. What's up with you? I thought you got my humour the moment you arrived, but during the two days you've been here, you've gone all serious and nerdy and pole-up-your-bum-know-it-all-git, again.'

Mia gasped and Gill almost choked on his coffee.

'Again?' he queried. 'Is that what you think of me? That's good to know. I foolishly thought you rather liked me. It seems I was mistaken.'

'Like you?' Ella said, raising her voice and shoving back her chair as she got to her feet. 'I don't know what gave you that idea. Mia was the one who wanted you to stay, not me. I can't wait for you to leave. You're getting on my nerves.'

He raised his brows as well as his voice as he stood up. 'I sincerely apologise. If my presence annoys you so greatly, perhaps I should go now.'

'Please do!' Ella glared at him.

Mia banged her hand on the table. 'Please don't! Ella doesn't mean that, Gill. She's upset, that's all.'

'I do mean it,' Ella said, almost at shrieking pitch. 'And I'm telling you right now, there is no way I'll ever marry you so don't even bother asking.'

'Marry me?' His angry voice reflected the shock on his face and his eyes shot from Ella to Mia and back again. 'What in God's name makes you think I'd ask you to? I only met you three days ago. I'll admit I'm attracted to you. But marriage? … God … I haven't even asked you out.'

'No, you haven't.' Ella glared at him.

'Because you're still dating a man who's told you he's leaving.' Gill glared back. 'I have no intention of asking you out while you're chasing after him.'

'I'm not chasing after anyone. I'm still dating him because I like him. And because I like having sex. And because no one else has asked to date me. Okay?'

'Okay. But there's no need to shriek like a banshee. I like having sex too. You could date me.'

'Don't you dare call me a banshee. And I can't date you because you still haven't bloody well asked me.'

'Well I'm asking now. Will you go out on a date with me?'

Ella hesitated for a split second. 'Well, okay then.' Her voice came down an octave.

So did Gill's. 'Okay? You'll go out with me?'

'I might as well. It's better than reading Mattie's bloody diaries with Mia. And that's my only other option.'

'Fine. What about tonight?'

'Fine.' Ella sounded almost calm again.

'Okay. But you'd better tell Justin it's over. I'm not the kind of man who dates other people's girlfriends.' Gill even grinned. 'The pole up my bum won't let me.'

'Okay.' Ella grinned back. 'I'll go and tell him now. But as much as I like sex, I'm not the kind of girl who jumps into bed on a first date, so don't expect me to.'

'I don't expect anything.'

'Good.' Ella turned and marched along the hall. 'I'll see you later.'

'Good.' Gill marched out into the garden.

Mia sat at the table, blinking.

What on earth had just happened?