As interruptions went it was about as poorly timed as it possibly could be, but as Maddie’s heart sank, she and Seth rose from the bench in one fluid movement.

‘Blimey, Clara, you’ll give a man a heart attack. What on earth’s the matter?’

‘You might have a heart attack yet,’ she said. ‘Don’t rule it out.’ She grinned at them, chest still heaving from her exertion and general excitement. ‘Come on!’

She pulled at Seth’s shirt and they had no choice but to follow at top speed as Clara led them back into the house and along the hallway. Maddie nearly tripped over Bonnie as the dogs, infected by the sudden change of mood, charged up and down the confined space. Eventually they came to rest back in the room they had begun to clear a couple of days ago.

Since that time, every box had been sorted, every cupboard and drawer emptied. They had salvaged a few things that would come in handy, mostly quirky household items which would provide interesting decoration, and importantly a few papers which gave an added insight into the history of Joy’s Acre. But although Maddie had been poring over these for interesting snippets she could use for the website she was putting together, there had been nothing else which had caused heart rates to rise. Until now, it would seem.

Once things had been emptied and either stored or thrown away, Trixie had ferried her endless boxes of books into the room. The huge dresser would house some of them, and the others in time would fill bookshelves that had yet to be installed. The room itself was looking far more appealing than it had in the past and there were plans to turn it into a second sitting room. As such, both Clara and Trixie had been wielding polish, cloths and various other cleaning implements to give the room a thorough spring clean, and as Seth and Maddie burst into the room it was still in a certain amount of disarray.

‘We pulled the dresser out from the wall to dust and hoover behind it, and look…’ Clara held out her hands towards Trixie, who was holding a small rectangular object.

‘Careful,’ she warned. ‘I’ve dusted it off a bit, but hold it by the edges for now so that it doesn’t mark.’

Clara did as she was asked, passing it over to Seth as if it was made of the most fragile porcelain.

‘What do you think?’ she asked. ‘Is it one of hers?’ She looked practically fit to burst.

Seth’s head shot up. ‘Where was this?’ he asked.

‘Wedged down the back of the dresser,’ replied Trixie. ‘I think it must have fallen behind the shelves in the bottom section. When we moved it, I think it slid out where the back board had become bowed. We had to tip the dresser forward quite a bit to fish it out.’

Seth nodded, looking first at Maddie, then at Clara, and finally at Trixie before dropping his gaze back down to the picture he held in his hands.

‘I don’t believe this,’ he said. ‘It’s been here all the time.’

‘It is hers, isn’t it?’ said Clara. ‘I knew it was.’ She was practically jumping up and down in excitement. Seth just looked shell shocked.

Maddie stepped forward and Seth wordlessly handed her the picture. Even in its dusty state the vibrant colours were instantly recognisable, as was the subject matter.

‘Oh my God,’ she intoned. ‘It is, it’s one of Joy’s!’ She stared at the picture a moment longer, heart pounding, before handing it back.

‘Light,’ said Seth suddenly. ‘We need more light.’

He shooed the dogs out the way and marched back down the hallway to the kitchen, where the sun was painting the walls with gold. He laid the picture down carefully on the table and stood back to look at it.

It was slightly bigger than the one which hung in the hallway, painted from the other side of the garden looking back towards the house. The greenhouse, resplendent in bright sunshine, was filled with all manner of fruit and vegetables and to the other side sat the thatched cottage, tall stems of hollyhocks waving from the side of the path to the front door.

‘What do we do?’ asked Maddie.

Seth looked at her, but it took a moment before her words registered. ‘Clean it up a bit, I suppose, but—’

‘No, I meant, shouldn’t we tell someone? When I found the auction catalogue that time it mentioned that she was considered an important artist of her generation, not least of all because her work is so scarce. I know it’s not a van Gogh, but aren’t we supposed to say we’ve found it or something?’

‘I don’t see why.’ Seth frowned. ‘What business is it of anybody else’s?’ He narrowed his eyes at her. ‘The only reason we’d need to do that was if we were thinking about selling it, which we’re not.’

Clara gave an audible tut. ‘Before you go getting on your high horse, Seth, no one’s suggesting that we sell it, but Maddie’s right. We should at least get it checked out to make sure Joy painted it, that way at least we know what we’re dealing with.’

‘And then we sell it?’

‘No!’ Clara said. ‘Stop putting words in our mouths. I’m as excited about this as you are, but the more practical part of my brain is also thinking about insurance and the like.’

Seth inhaled slowly. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘Yes, of course, you’re both absolutely right. I can’t afford any insurance of course, but that’s probably beside the point. Perhaps we should give the guy at the auctioneers a ring in the first instance and see what he says.’

‘I’ll go and get the catalogue from the last sale,’ said Maddie. ‘I think the chap’s number was inside.’

She hurried from the room, thinking fast. An idea had just come at her out of nowhere but she would need some time to think about it first. There was no way she could mention it just yet.

When she returned, the three were exactly as she had left them, although Trixie looked up as she entered and caught her eye with a rueful grin.

‘I probably shouldn’t say this but I’m gonna anyway… I’m just playing that devil’s whatnot, what do you call it?’

‘Advocate?’ suggested Maddie.

‘That’s it! Devil’s advocate, because I know I’ve only just got here and everything so I don’t really know what’s going on, but you guys are seriously strapped for cash, and we’ve just found a painting which you’re all making sound like it’s worth a fortune… So why aren’t you going to sell it? It’s pretty, but I’m not sure it’s worth making a massive fuss over.’

Maddie grimaced. It was a valid comment, and there was a good deal of truth in what she said, but somehow she didn’t think Seth was going to see it that way.

‘Don’t shoot the messenger…’ sang Clara under her breath.

A few poignant seconds passed before Seth opened his mouth to speak. Neither Maddie nor Clara dared to answer on his behalf.

‘I should shoot you on the spot for treason,’ said Seth, his face sliding into a grin, ‘but fortunately for you I’ve taken my sidearm in for servicing. What you suggest is, of course, what every sane person would do in our position, but what on earth gave you the idea that we were sane, in any way, shape, or form?’

‘Hmm, I’m beginning to see that…’ muttered Trixie. ‘But listen, you’re talking to a woman with bright pink hair – conforming to how everyone else thinks I should behave isn’t exactly top of my list. I’m quite happy to be added to the insane list.’

‘Consider yourself added in that case, the only rule being that you never, ever mention selling this painting again. We should probably tell you why though, I guess that’s only fair.’

Maddie handed Trixie the story of Joy’s Acre that she had brought from the other room.

‘A little bit of bedtime reading,’ she said. ‘Make sure you’ve got a tissue to hand though, it’s heart-wrenching in places.’

Then she handed the auction catalogue she had also brought to Seth, and turned over the front cover for him.

He paused, looking at the page in front of him where the auctioneers’ contact details were listed.

‘I should go and do this now, shouldn’t I?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ chorused both Clara and Maddie together.

‘Otherwise we all know that you’ll put off every opportunity to do it for the next millennium,’ added Maddie. ‘Strike while the iron’s hot and let’s find out whether Joy really has left us another gift.’

Seth’s eyes stayed on hers for quite some time before he dropped his gaze; at least it felt that way to Maddie, who had suddenly become hyperaware of everything that Seth said or did. She was, as Clara suggested, completely under the influence of his gravitational pull.

How on earth was she ever going to broach her idea with Seth? She wasn’t entirely sure what there was between them yet, or even that she had read the signs right, but whatever their relationship was, this ran the risk of blowing it wide apart. So wide that they might never recover from it. The trouble was that Joy’s Acre probably wouldn’t exist much longer without this intervention. With her project manager’s head on, she knew, perhaps more than any of them, what they were up against here. They might make it, but common sense told her there was a good chance they wouldn’t. She looked across at Clara who was busy studying the painting again; she was probably the only one who would understand, but whether Maddie would have the nerve to talk to her about it, now that was another matter.

She could see Seth through the kitchen window, pacing up and down in the yard with his mobile to his ear. A few weeks ago, this would have been an impossibility but the arrival of broadband had been a definite step in the right direction. Wi-Fi calling was another benefit they were all getting pleasantly used to, but that, like everything, came at a price. She took a step to one side as Clara came to stand beside her.

‘What do you think?’ she said. ‘Right decision?’

‘As opposed to?’

‘I don’t know,’ sighed Clara. ‘Burying our heads in the sand?’

‘Seth would call it loyalty and commitment,’ she commented, keeping her eyes on the yard. ‘But I think you’re right. It’s not being disloyal and it might never come to it, but I think if we ever had to sell the painting, I’d like to know where we stand. All we’re doing is checking our facts.’

‘I think Seth understands that. I know he can seem a bit blinkered at times, but once he’s had an opportunity to think things through he usually makes pretty sound judgements.’ She elbowed Maddie very gently in the ribs. ‘You seemed very close out in the garden,’ she said.

‘Did we?’

‘Hmm, you did…’ She was grinning now, Maddie could hear it in her voice. ‘And I thought you were supposed to be helping Tom.’

‘We were!’ Maddie protested, although she knew there was little point in trying to pull the wool over Clara’s eyes. ‘It took me a little while to learn how, but once I’d got the knack, we made no end of spars.’

‘Well there wasn’t much that Seth was doing except for making eyes at you…’

Maddie batted her arm. ‘Oh give over,’ she said. ‘You’re just imagining things.’

A voice spoke from behind them. ‘I’m probably not supposed to say this either, but this is far more exciting than some bloody picture. Are you and Seth—’

‘No!’

Trixie and Clara exchanged looks. ‘Protesting far too hard, I’d say…’

‘Definitely,’ confirmed Clara.

‘Although I would, given half the chance. He’s pretty nice to look at… smouldering dark eyes, tousled hair, and a bit of rough with the beard… just how I like them.’

Maddie rolled her eyes. ‘Ladies, please.’ She still had one eye on the front window. ‘Shh, for goodness’ sake. He’s coming back.’

‘Right, well I don’t know whether that was good news or bad news,’ announced Seth, coming back into the kitchen. ‘The chap who dealt with the sale before has left the company, but they have a new man who’s a specialist in Victorian art. Rather surprisingly he knew Joy’s name, although under the name she painted of course – CJ Davenport – and he has declared that he’ll be very happy to give us an assessment on our picture’s authenticity.’

He pulled a face. ‘Although, seeing as this was her house and the picture was rammed down the back of her dresser, I fail to see how it can have been painted by anyone else.’

‘Did he seem interested?’ asked Maddie.

‘Very,’ said Seth, frowning at her.

‘So, just to play the devil’s whatnot again,’ said Trixie, ‘did he mention how many gazillions it might be worth?’

‘No, Trixie, he didn’t, and before you ask, no I didn’t mention it either. Anyway, he’s coming on Friday, so we’ll just have to wait and see.’

Friday was two days away. ‘So, what do we do now?’ asked Clara.

‘Well, Maddie and I still have hundreds of bloody spars to make, and I guess you two can just carry on as you were.’

‘That wasn’t exactly what I meant,’ she replied.

‘No, I know,’ he said, grinning. ‘But that’s the only answer you’re going to get.’