Page 30

Jess laughed. ‘I love the idea of a surprise but, um, you hate cooking.’

‘I wouldn’t say I hate cooking, but I do like eating.’

Jess looked thoughtful. ‘Tell you what, why don’t you leave it with me? I had an idea anyway but it was meant to be a surprise for you as well as the others. I do need some help with what to get Athene for Christmas though, if you can give me some ideas. It needs to be something I can find locally. Something chic, stylish, useful and cool.’

‘Good luck with that!’ Katie said. ‘But I’ll happily share some ideas.’

Even as they were brainstorming, Katie couldn’t wholly put Jess’s comment from her mind.

You almost died. Katie had skated over the remark and had never let on how badly the close shave had affected her mental health. She pushed the thought away to the furthest reaches of her mind and focused on a discussion about whether Athene might like a new beret or leather gloves or another black sweater.

They rejoined Wanda and Athene, who were finishing the hot chocolate by the lake.

Wanda was pointing at the water when they arrived and declared, ‘Oh my days. Look at that! Are those people out there swimming?’

Katie followed her outstretched hand. ‘Unless otters wear orange bobble hats, I think they must be.’

Wanda squealed in horror and turned round. ‘It’s a wonder they don’t get hypothermia. Or cold shock. They must be stark raving mad.’

Athene grimaced. ‘I have to agree. The rights woman at the agency tried to get me to go swimming in some muddy pond on Hampstead Heath. I said I’d rather jump in a vat of rancid gravy.’

Everyone laughed.

Jess folded her arms. ‘I like going in the sea when it’s thirty degrees and you can see the bottom and there’s a lounger and a margarita waiting for me when I come out. Those hats are a fashion statement, that’s for sure.’

Katie watched the bobble hats form a circle and caught snatches of voices on the breeze. There didn’t seem much actual swimming going on, mostly treading water and chatting. ‘I wish I was brave enough …’ she said. ‘But luckily, I’m not!’

The crunch of boots on frosty ground and sound of male voices silenced them all. Katie’s pulse skittered. Don’t say that Ned was on the island …

‘Hello.’

Katie’s shoulders dropped in relief when she realised that Greg was with Arlo, although she was marginally less relaxed about Arlo’s presence. However, with everyone together, she – and Arlo – kept up the polite chit-chat.

Arlo introduced Greg to the four women. Katie could see Wanda was smitten and Jess intrigued with Greg’s rugged good looks and rich Cumbrian accent. Athene was politely interested and charming, a response she’d cultivated to almost any character in any situation.

Pongo immediately made a beeline for Wanda, who crouched down to fuss him. Jess threw a stick for Greg’s dog.

‘Go get it, Gin!’ Greg shouted.

‘Gin? That’s an unusual name for a sheepdog,’ Athene said.

Greg smiled. ‘My wife chose it. She loved dogs and always named them the first thing she saw when she walked into the house, so when we carried this pup into the kitchen …’ He smiled at Gin affectionately.

Athene chuckled. ‘Good job you didn’t notice the kettle or a bag of pasta. Please tell your wife I love her creative process.’

‘I wish I could,’ Greg said and hesitated a second before adding, ‘Unfortunately, she passed away a few years ago.’

Athene gasped. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’

‘Thank you,’ Greg said and then smiled. ‘Gin, Ginny! Come back out of that water. I don’t want to hose you down twice in a day!’

Everyone took the opportunity to laugh, obviously grateful for the release of tension.

‘Gin’s even more unusual than Pongo,’ Katie said, continuing the conversation in a light-hearted way while feeling very sorry for Greg. ‘I’d have thought he’d have been called something … stately.’

‘Mr Darcy had a pointer,’ Athene declared. ‘Although, of course, Pongo is a Labrador.’

Greg laughed out loud and Katie stifled a snort.