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‘What are you going to say to him?’

‘I don’t know.’

Jess shook her head. ‘I am sorry. It’s none of my or anyone’s business except yours.’

Katie patted Jess’s arm. ‘It is your business in the interest of harmony in the house.’

Wanda was still chattering to the swimmers.

Jess smiled. ‘There’s no rush for us. I’ll wait here a while for Wanda.’

‘You can tell her where I’m going,’ Katie said. ‘I promise I’ll let you know how it goes.’

Ouch. Katie felt a spasm in her leg and limped across the lane towards the Lodge and adjacent Bothy. All the recent activity had been good for her but she was also fatigued from the broken sleep, long journey and walks.

After a moment’s rest, the cramp passed and she opened the gate to the Lodge.

Her heart sank.

Arlo’s Land Rover was still on the drive and, worse, he was cleaning out the back of it with a bucket and brush while Pongo snuffled around the garden. She’d expected him to be on his way to his festive lunch by now and not there to witness her meeting with Ned, who appeared at the gateway to the Bothy, wreathed in smiles.

There was nothing to be done now, and she reminded herself that she had no need to feel uncomfortable about seeing Ned anyway.

Pongo woofed in greeting and ran over to nuzzle her hand, attracting Arlo’s attention. His frown of surprise melted into shock when Ned walked briskly over to meet Katie and kissed her on the cheek.

‘You made it.’

‘I only came from the Island House,’ she joked. ‘Not the other side of the Atlantic and Arlo is a good pilot.’

She’d hoped to draw laughter from Arlo; her reward was the most fleeting of smiles.

‘I thought you were going to a Christmas lunch,’ she said.

‘I am but I had one of Greg’s ewes in the back yesterday and I thought I’d better clean it out before I turned up at the hotel.’

Ned wrinkled his nose. ‘How rustic,’ he said before turning to Katie with an approving glance at her boots. ‘Good – you’re properly prepared for our adventure. You see, I’m taking your advice, Arlo.’ Ned pointed to the small messenger bag slung over his jacket.

Katie cringed. ‘Dalton’s cave is hardly an adventure.’

‘The cave?’ Arlo said.

‘Yes. It’s perfectly safe, isn’t it?’ Katie asked, annoyed that her leg was throbbing again.

Ned laughed. ‘Everyone goes there, even toddlers, from the pictures I’ve seen online.’

‘It’s – a popular spot, and a fine day for a walk,’ Arlo replied to Ned, before directing his gaze at Katie. ‘But it always pays to be prepared.’

‘We’ll be fine, I’m sure, and back here by two thirty,’ she said. ‘And now you know where we’ll be and when to expect us back, just in case.’

‘I’ll be home by then, and I’ll look out for you.’ His smile, a mix of gravity and tenderness, made Katie’s heart stir with feelings she couldn’t quite name.

‘That’s very thoughtful of you, but I’m sure nothing will go wrong,’ Ned said, touching Katie’s elbow. ‘Shall we be on our way?’

Feeling her leg ease, Katie threw a winning smile at him. ‘Fine. Bring it on.’

‘Can you actually believe this place is real and not straight off a film set?’

‘People do have actual lives outside of London,’ Katie said when they climbed out of Ned’s car in Rosthwaite. ‘But I do know what you mean.’