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night’s fire still glowed in the wood-burner and where another staircase, broader and less steep, climbed and turned out of sight. The breakfast room was empty but he could hear Milo just beyond the archway in the kitchen.
    â€˜I don’t believe you for a moment. I think you’ve had your breakfast already and you’re not getting any more. Think I was born yesterday, don’t you?’
    â€˜Good morning,’ Matt said.
    There was a brief silence and Milo appeared, Pud at his heels. ‘Sorry, old chap. Wasn’t talking to you.’
    Matt laughed and bent to stroke Pud, gently pulling the long treacle-coloured ears. ‘I realize that. OK if I make myself some coffee?’
    â€˜Of course it is. Lottie was wondering if you wanted to go into Porlock with her. She’s got shopping to do and then she might go on to see Imogen. She’s just phoning her.’

    â€˜Sounds good to me.’
    Matt wondered whether to introduce the subject of Annabel but decided to speak to Lottie first. There was no hurry, he told himself; surely he could enjoy his first day without making any commitment.

CHAPTER FOUR
    A few days later Sara phoned just before lunch.
    â€˜Hallo, Charlotte. How’s life in La-la Land?’
    Lottie sighed. She knew that Sara needed to see Milo’s gesture in giving her, Lottie, a permanent home as a purely philanthropic and slightly ridiculous act: something to be mocked and made light of, as if both of them were silly children living in a fantasy world. Beneath her disdainful banter, however, was a very real anxiety that Nick might lose out on some material advantage.
    â€˜Life is very good, thank you, Sara. How are you?’
    â€˜I’ve got some rather bad news. Has Nick been in touch?’
    â€˜Not very recently. What is it?’
    â€˜It appears that there’s some trouble between him and Alice.’
    Lottie took a sharp breath. ‘Oh, no! I’m so sorry. I had no idea, they seem so …’ She hesitated. She’d been about to say ‘happy together’, which wasn’t exactly right; at least not in the sense that Im and Jules were. Nick and Alice tolerated
each other in a good-natured manner. ‘They seem so well suited,’ she finished.
    â€˜I thought so too.’ Sara sounded irritated. ‘Of course, Alice isn’t communicating with me and Nick is prevaricating, so I’m not certain what the real truth of it is. I thought I’d better warn you in case either of them gets in touch.’
    â€˜Would you like to speak to Milo?’
    â€˜Not particularly.’
    â€˜I’m so sorry, Sara. What about the children?’
    â€˜What about them? Nick has simply said that Alice has taken them to her parents’ place in Hampshire for the half-term fortnight and that Nick is not invited. He’s coming over for lunch.’
    â€˜Well, give him my love. Matt’s here for a few days—’
    â€˜Oh?’ Sara’s voice was sharp.
    Lottie resisted the need to explain Matt’s presence, to apologize for it. Even now Sara clung to all the rights of a wife when it came to life at the High House and fiercely protected Nick’s future claims.
    â€˜She hasn’t any rights,’ Milo would say crossly when the pressure became overwhelming. ‘I can do what I like with my own property. She must know by now that I shall look after Nick.’
    â€˜Yes,’ Lottie now said calmly to Sara. ‘It’s lovely to see him.’
    â€˜And how’s the new book coming along? A bit of a time, isn’t it, since the great success?’
    Lottie bit her lips and swallowed her wrath. ‘These things take time. He’s in very good form and it’s lovely for him to be able to see Im.’
    â€˜Have they found anywhere to live yet?’
    â€˜No, not yet.’

    â€˜Well, I hope Milo doesn’t get another pathetic urge to use the High House as an orphanage. Once