At least Tom had turned up for work this morning. If she were being cynical, Maddie would say that it was because Seth was coming back today, but Tom would only smile and say that it was just pure coincidence. Whatever the reason, Maddie was happy to see him. Work was progressing well inside the cottage and she was adamant that they stick to their deadline.

She called a greeting to him as she passed by to speak to Clara.

‘How’s it going, Tom?’

He gave her a thumbs up. ‘She’s coming along nicely, I reckon. I could do with Seth making up the spars for me, then I wouldn’t have to keep stopping, same with the yelms, but beggars can’t be choosers, I’ll manage.’

Maddie squinted up at him. ‘Sorry, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.’

Tom pulled out a vicious-looking two-pronged stake from where he was working.

‘That’s a spar.’ He grinned. ‘Made from a hazel twig, and twisted in the middle, it’s essentially a big staple and is what’s holding this baby together. I’ll get through several hundred by the time I’m done… And you don’t buy ’em, you make ’em.’

‘Oh,’ she replied, surprised. ‘Do you know, I never even thought about that. I don’t know what I thought really, probably not much if I’m honest.’

‘Aye, not much thatching in London, I reckon, least not nowadays.’

‘I hardly dare ask, but what was the other thing you mentioned, yams was it?’

Tom laughed. ‘Not quite,’ he said. ‘Y-e-l-m-s – yelms, an altogether different thing. To put it simply they’re bales of straw, shaped and strung, and you have to make them too, maybe six hundred or so.’ He leaned backward, patting a second ladder that lay on the roof beside him. ‘Do you want to come up and have a look?’

Maddie wasn’t sure if her legs would take the height, but it seemed rude not to. ‘Erm, I’m not actually sure I can, how do I do it?’

It sounded like a ridiculous question, but she’d never been up a ladder in her life before, at least not one that high.

‘Hold up,’ shouted Tom, ‘I’ll come to you.’

He was on the ground in seconds, the ladder bouncing alarmingly as he shot down. ‘I’ll follow you up.’

For one awful minute she thought he meant he would literally follow behind her, and she didn’t think she knew Tom well enough yet to have him in quite such close proximity, but to her relief he merely held the ladder until she was a few rungs up and then began to climb his own, keeping pace with her ascent.

‘Best not look down if your knees do that weird jelly thing,’ he said. ‘Just lie against the ladder.’

She was breathing rather more rapidly by the time she got to the top, but she had done it. And then she looked up and what little breath she had left was taken from her. From her vantage point close to the roof’s apex, she suddenly saw the whole of Joy’s Acre spread out before her.

She felt like she was flying. To the front of her lay the swoop and sway of the fields and hedges, beginning to turn every shade of green in the spring sunshine as they descended the hill into the distance. Closer at hand were the estate gardens, filling the landscape with colour and texture in ordered shapes and pattern, and then behind her the warm solidarity of the handsome farmhouse, its windows glinting in the light. It was a magical feeling to be able to gaze upon it all, and she felt humbled to be at its centre. She turned to look at Tom, who had a broad grin on his face.

‘No finer view, is there?’ he said. ‘Doesn’t matter where you are, things always look amazing from up on a roof. It gives you a whole different perspective on life.’

And Maddie could see that it was true. She gave a wry smile and looked back down at her ladder, which was lying against a patch of roof that had yet to be re-thatched. It looked a complete mess if she were honest.

‘That’s where Seth has taken off the top layers already,’ indicated Tom. ‘You’re looking at one-hundred-and-twenty-five-year-old thatch underneath, give or take a few years.’

Maddie stared at the roof in front of her. ‘Is that the god-awful mess I was helping Seth to cart away the other day?’

‘Aye, Seth mentioned he’d got you working on that.’ There was an amused twinkle in his eye. ‘Pretty grotty stuff, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah, but…’ She paused. ‘I never realised there was quite so much to it. I thought you just took off the old roof and put on the new one, but this… it’s like a slice of living history.’

Tom grinned at her. ’Now you’re getting it,’ he said. ‘This section of thatch was laid in Victorian times, probably when Joy and Edwin were living here, imagine what that must have been like.’

Maddie risked a glance around her. ‘The place probably looked nothing like this then.’

‘No, I don’t suppose it did, but to be honest thatching is not much different now, we still use all the old traditional methods.’ He pulled a spar from the roof and handed it to her. ‘Just the same. How many things can you say that about today?’

She stared at it, mesmerised, suddenly understanding why Seth and Tom felt so passionate about this. Seth must have wanted to slap her when she’d been so scathing about the word ‘heritage’.

‘I am the biggest idiot,’ she said.

Tom shrugged. ‘Different lives, is all,’ he said. ‘If you’ve never come across it, why would you think about it? I just consider myself lucky that I get to carry on the tradition. As long as we keep doing that, nothing is lost.’

‘And that’s why you’re training Seth? So that there’s someone else who can carry this on too?’

‘Pretty much. How long does it take to learn, do you reckon?’

Maddie thought for a moment. ‘I’ve no idea,’ she said. ‘And knowing me, I’ll probably say something really offensive.’ She grimaced.

‘Well then, how long does it take a doctor to train? You must have an idea about that.’

‘Five years or so?’

‘Right. And it takes an apprentice thatcher four years to learn his craft, then another couple before they’re any good…’ He let the sentence trail into the air.

Maddie could feel her cheeks beginning to burn. ‘Like I said, I really am the biggest idiot. I’m sorry, Tom, I think it’s pretty obvious I had no clue before, and I’ve been horrendously rude as well. But I do get it now, I honestly do… and I think it’s amazing. I’m not just saying that.’

Tom patted her hand. ‘Aye, I can see that.’ He winked at her. ‘We’ll have you making the spars next.’

She laughed. ‘Don’t push your luck. Besides, Seth’s back today, and I’m pretty certain I’d be rubbish at it.’

‘Don’t be so hard on yourself, you never know. And it will take Seth a few days before he’s up to much, I may well be knocking at your door.’

He indicated that they should go down again, but she caught hold of his arm. ‘Why? I thought he was just away on a business trip.’

A look of alarm crossed Tom’s face. ‘Yeah, that’s right.’

His reply was nonchalant, but Maddie wasn’t about to let it drop. There had been altogether too much secrecy surrounding Seth’s few days away, and it felt as if she was the only one who didn’t know what was going on.

She narrowed her eyes at him. ‘So why won’t he be up to much then, Tom? If it’s just a business trip.’

This time he groaned. ‘Shit, look, I shouldn’t have mentioned anything, okay. Forget I even said it.’

‘I couldn’t possibly,’ she replied, holding his look. ‘Come on, Tom, what’s the big secret?’

Tom passed a hand over his face. ‘Maybe ask Clara, I dunno, but I’m saying nothing.’ His look was apologetic. ‘I’m sorry, Maddie, but I promised. My mouth has got me into all sorts of trouble in the past, but not this time. If Seth wanted you to know where he was going he’d have told you himself.’

She relented. It wasn’t Tom’s fault and he was trying to be a good friend. Besides, she didn’t want to spoil what had been a very revealing few minutes. Tom might come across as lazy and unreliable at times, but there was a deep passion that ran under his skin, and he’d been generous enough to share some of that with her today.

‘Ah well, perhaps you will have to call on me to make some spars for you then, after all.’ She took a final look at the roof and the amazing view. ‘Thanks, Tom. I mean it, I learned a lot today.’

They both knew she wasn’t just referring to thatching.

Tom followed her down to the ground and then began to re-climb his ladder.

‘Catch you later,’ he said, and winked in farewell.

The trouble was that Maddie understood Tom’s stance perfectly well, but that didn’t remove her desire to find out what was happening. She was just beginning to find her feet here, to feel as if she belonged in her own right, and she knew from bitter experience that miscommunication could lead to disaster. She had hoped that she and Seth had got over their rather disastrous start, but it rankled that he was still keeping things from her.

She also knew that the reason she was headed back into the garden was not because she wanted to admire it, or to pause a moment in the sunshine, but because she knew without a shadow of doubt that Clara would know exactly why Seth had gone away. The only question was, whether she would be willing to reveal anything.

Clara was on her knees, a tray of fledgling plants beside her. She looked up as Maddie approached, a warm smile on her lips.

‘Runner beans,’ she said. ‘Had to be done. I’ll be heartily sick of them by the end of the season, but the anticipation of the first ones is always enough to make me plant them year on year.’ She scooped out another ball of soil and popped a plant into the hole she had just made. ‘With any luck I’ve just got time to get these in.’

It was an odd sentence, coming from Clara, for whom time didn’t seem to hold the same boundaries as other people. Maddie gave her a quizzical look.

‘Seth’s train gets in in just over an hour,’ she said by way of explanation. ‘And I said I’d pick him up.’

It was the perfect opportunity that Maddie needed.

‘Oh, I know where the station is. I passed it the other day with Trixie,’ she said. ‘And now that I’ve finally got my car back again, I can pick him up if you like, save you the bother of having to stop.’ She sighed. ‘To be honest I’m at a bit of a standstill this morning, there’s not much I can get on with until Seth gets back, and I’ve got a list of questions to ask him as long as your arm. The poor man is going to get bombarded.’

Clara’s response was immediate. ‘It’s no problem, honestly. These will only take me a few minutes to pop in and the break will make a welcome change. All that digging yesterday afternoon is beginning to take its toll.’

‘That, and a late night with several glasses of wine, I bet. I still feel half asleep myself, and I didn’t do nearly as much as you.’

‘It was a nice evening though, wasn’t it? Trixie’s lovely, and I know she’s going to fit in well with everyone. It will be a real treat having her cook.’

Maddie nodded. ‘I said I’d give her hand to tidy up the spare rooms later. Then she can bring her books over too; just somewhere to store them until we can get sorted. In fact, that’s something else I need to speak to Seth about. I haven’t a clue what’s in that room, half of it looks like junk that’s just been shoved in there.’

Clara began to pat the soil around the new plants and she spoke without even looking up.

‘No, I wouldn’t have a clue either, I’m afraid. Although perhaps you might wait to tackle Seth about these things until tomorrow. He’ll be very tired, I expect.’ She carried on with her task.

Maddie was getting nowhere and she was beginning to feel a little irritated. She dropped down to her haunches so that she was the same level as Clara.

‘Can I ask you something?’ she said. ‘Only Tom also mentioned that Seth wouldn’t be up to much when he got back, and I wondered whether I’d missed something. He has just been away on business, hasn’t he?’

‘Why? What did Tom say?’ Clara’s head jerked up.

‘Nothing in particular… in fact he wouldn’t say anything else when I asked him, but he seemed a bit… I don’t know, uneasy maybe? Is there anything wrong?’

Clara sat back on her heels and picked at some soil that clung to her fingers. ‘Look, I’m sorry, Maddie. I did mention to Seth that he ought to tell you, but he’s very funny about it, okay. He doesn’t want anyone to know, not after last time, and if he won’t tell you, it’s not my place to.’ She looked genuinely contrite.

Maddie nodded. ‘That’s pretty much what Tom said too, but I’ll be honest, Clara, keeping me in the dark when both you and Tom know what’s going on is beginning to make it seem even more worrying. What doesn’t Seth want me to know?’

She bit her lip. ‘He’s had a routine medical procedure, that’s all I can tell you. It’s nothing serious, he’s not ill or anything, but he might be out of it for a day or two… and if I know Seth he won’t want anyone to make a fuss.’

Don’t ask any questions, in other words, thought Maddie. Another warning. Clara was trying to make light of it, but Maddie wasn’t fooled. In fact, she was surprised at how ill at ease it was making her. And even a little jealous…

‘You seem as if you know him pretty well?’

She caught the surprise in Clara’s eyes. ‘Maddie, don’t be angry, please. Seth and I go back a bit, and yes… we’re very close. We have some things in common, and I owe him a great deal for many reasons, but we really are just good friends. You don’t have anything to worry about.’

Maddie flushed red. ‘No, I didn’t mean…’ But she wasn’t sure what she meant, and trailed off.

Clara laid a hand on her arm. ‘This is important to him and I have to respect his wishes.’ She looked at her watch. ‘I need to get going, but I promise I’ll do my best to persuade him to talk to you about it.’

With that, she got to her feet and, mindful of her dirty hands, gave Maddie a hug.

‘This is nothing personal, I promise.’

She gave her a final squeeze, picked up the tray of plants beside her and walked back down the path to the greenhouse. Maddie was left with no choice but to return to the house.

She filled the kettle for something to do and went through into the office to switch on the computer. She stood staring at it for several minutes while it loaded, deep in thought. Something Trixie had said yesterday when she first met Clara had just come back to her. Trixie had asked Clara how she was, saying she had read about what happened. Clara had been just as evasive about events then, and in light of the conversation they’d just had, Maddie wondered whether the two things were connected. Was this the thing that she was indebted to him for? The thing that had created the special bond between them?

If Trixie had read about what had happened, then it meant she had either seen it online or in a newspaper. Either way it would probably take only a matter of minutes for a search engine to find some reference to it. Thinking back, Trixie had also mentioned that everyone locally knew who Seth was. So was that down to them living in a small community where everybody knew everyone else, or had what happened been reported widely enough for him to have become a talking point? It was very tempting to find out, but it would also be a huge betrayal of trust. She reached over and shut down the computer again.

Tutting at herself, she walked from the room. She was annoyed because she felt as if no one trusted her enough to let her into their secrets, and yet here she was on the verge of betraying their privacy. Which only really served to prove the point, didn’t it? And as for Seth and Clara, for goodness’ sake, what did it matter if they were bonking each other senseless; it was none of her business and they were nice people, surely they deserved some happiness? Anyone would think she had feelings for Seth…

She banged a cup down on the side, throwing in a teabag and staring out of the kitchen window. She had no idea what to do now, except wait, and she wasn’t a particularly patient person at the best of times. She needed an activity to take her mind off things.

While her tea was brewing she wandered through to the spare room that lay at the back of the house. In effect, it was a second sitting room, larger than the one they used but without the same cosy charm. By his own admission Seth hadn’t really bothered with it for years, but it was a bit austere, and over time had become a dumping ground for all the things that people hung onto just in case. Some of it was even still in boxes.

She poked around in a desultory fashion for a few minutes, opening some drawers in a large ugly dresser that stood against one wall. A waft of camphor hit her as she peered at layers of tablecloths and other linens, crammed into the space. They were all uniquely hideous. A second drawer heralded a multitude of tarnished cutlery and sticky place mats and, as she pulled open the last drawer, she almost didn’t bother to look at the contents, but something made her lift out a few papers to see what was underneath.

Twenty minutes later, her tea now cold, stewed and totally forgotten, she was still sitting on the floor with a lap full of coloured catalogues when a furious banging on the front door broke into her thoughts. Puffing with irritation, she placed the catalogues carefully to one side and walked the length of the hallway.

‘Just a minute,’ she called out, struggling to make herself heard above the cacophony of barking that ensued. The ferocious beating of the door continued.

The door wasn’t locked, but whoever was on the other side was clearly in a state and their angst transferred itself to her. She fumbled with the catch at the same time as trying to contain the two wildly leaping dogs.

Eventually, she got the door open and did her best to paste on a bright smile as she registered the furious face in front of her.

‘Agatha, what can I do for you?’ she asked stiffly, very tempted just to let the dogs go.

Agatha ignored her and stared down the hallway over Maddie’s shoulder.

The silence grew unbearable.

‘Seth isn’t here, I’m afraid.’

Still nothing. Agatha’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

‘You can come in and look for yourself if you don’t believe me.’

Maddie’s words suddenly seemed to unlock something within Agatha.

‘And why, may I ask, would I believe anything you say?’ Her face was sour and unyielding.

Maddie tried to recall the detail of their last conversation, but as far as she could remember, Agatha had gone off happily enough – for her. The unfairness of her comment rankled.

‘Seth will be back later on today. Would you like me to give him a message?’

‘No, thank you, I’ll wait. I’ll have a cup of tea.’

She pushed through to the hall and marched into the kitchen. Maddie let go of the dogs who, obviously catching the bad vibe, slunk off down the hallway, leaving Maddie to follow her boss to the kitchen alone.

Agatha was already seated at the table when she entered. ‘I take my tea with milk and one sugar.’

Maddie tried to politely ignore her. ‘I really have no idea when Seth will be back. Wouldn’t you be better to come back later? Or tomorrow, when I know he’ll be free.’

‘Yes that would suit you well, wouldn’t it? However, this can’t wait and I’ve no intention of giving you the opportunity to get in with your sad little sob story first.’

Maddie thought she must have misheard her. The accusation had come from nowhere and she had no idea what Agatha was talking about.

‘I beg your pardon?’ she said, her cheeks flushing red in agitation.

But Agatha hadn’t finished; she pinned Maddie with a fierce glare.

‘I suppose you thought it would be easy to pull the wool over Seth’s eyes, and mine for that matter; a couple of country bumpkins who knew no better. My niece, however, is altogether a different kettle of fish, Miss Porter, and she is very well connected in London.’ She leaned forward. ‘She knows a lot of people.’

Maddie could feel the colour draining from her cheeks at the very mention of the word ‘London’, a place that now seemed so much further away than ever before. She’d been promised that no one would find out what had happened, but the gleeful look on Agatha’s face would seem to suggest otherwise. Maddie clenched her fists, trying to draw in a surreptitious deep breath.

‘Agatha, I’m sorry, I’m not sure what the problem is, but I really don’t think—’

A toot from a car horn cut across her and Maddie’s heart sank even further. From her standing position she could see exactly who had just pulled into the yard, and there was only one way this conversation was going to go, and that was badly.

Agatha craned her neck, and flashed a satisfied smile at Maddie as she spotted Seth and Clara.

‘Well, perhaps I won’t be needing that cup of tea after all, although if I were you I would make use of the extra time and go and pack your bags.’