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Different one. Play along? I think you’ll like it.

He sent smiley face and fingers crossed emojis.

Knock, knock.

Fine. Who’s there?

Orange.

Orange who?

Orange you curious to know?

Orange I curious to know who?

Not who. What. At the front desk.

What is?

Aha, it worked! You’re curious. A little bird mentioned you might need a pick-me-up. Hoping this helps.

Mia checked her watch. She had a few minutes still, so headed to reception.

‘Oh good, you’re here.’ Karen smiled at her from behind the desk and grabbed something from the side. ‘This smells incredible. I was going to come find you if you didn’t appear soon.’ She handed Mia a large tray bundled up in tea towels. ‘The young man who works for Ophelia dropped it off.’

‘Oh, it’s warm!’ Mia peeled back a corner of the fabric to find a layer of tinfoil which gave way to the most deliciously heady scent of warm chocolate and cinnamon. ‘Brownies.’

‘There’s this too.’ Karen held up a jam jar half-filled with pale purple fluff.

‘Icing.’ Mia smiled as she read the label. ‘Cinnamon chocolate brownies and Banish the (Lavender) Blues frosting.’

‘An interesting name…’

‘Aiden names all his blends.’ Mia shrugged. ‘Do you want some?’

‘Are you sure? Your friend brought it for you.’

‘There’s a whole tray here – I can’t eat them all!’

‘Oh, go on then. Let’s pop the kettle on.’

‘I did before I came out here. With any luck it might have boiled by now.’ Mia giggled, already feeling a bit happier.

Aiden looked up at the tap at the window, and grinned to see Mia standing there.

‘Hello.’ He unlocked the door and held it open for her. ‘Your timing’s great. I just finished cashing up, and Ophelia and Katie should be back in a bit.’

‘I hear the Hudsbury grapevine is alive and thriving.’ Mia held up the now clean tray Aiden had borrowed from the shop kitchen.

‘Possibly.’

‘Let me guess… Mark told Christine, who told Cheryl, who probably told everyone… in the nice sense, of course.’

‘Like I said, a little bird told me.’ That seemed pretty close to the truth of it being Rayenne’s sparrows twittering that the honey-and-chestnut-haired lady who fed them tidbits at lunch was upset.

‘Honestly, this place, some days.’ Mia laughed. ‘I’m convinced if someone sneezes more than twice in the park Cheryl will have heard and got the chicken soup on before they’ve walked to the café.’

‘It does seem to be a very tight-knit community.’