‘Dreadfully,’ Amanda said. ‘He can’t stand Janet and Carole’s house.’
‘That’s a lie. He’s a such a bossy and greedy thing, I have no doubt they would have spoiled him. He probably won’t want to come back to me now,’ she half joked.
‘He’s already at Moongate, waiting,’ Amanda said, calming her fears.
The light seemed brighter to Diana as they drove out of Newcastle and towards Foxfield and the sea.
The water was calm and the breeze pleasant as they passed the beach, a few beachgoers still braving the water in the last of summer sun.
‘You must be careful swimming in there.’ Diana pointed to the water. ‘Lots of rips. If you get caught in one you just have to float until it brings you back. It’s when you fight where it’s trying to take you that you get in trouble.’
‘Good to know,’ said Amanda from the back seat and Diana saw her share a glance with Simon in the rear-view mirror.
They came around the bend in the road and there was Moongate in its glory and then Diana saw the garden.
‘What’s happened? Who did this?’ she asked as Simon turned onto the driveway and drove up to the house.
‘Simon did,’ Amanda said.
‘No, I paid someone to do it since I promised I would have it finished by the end of summer,’ he corrected.
He jumped from the car and came around and opened the door for Diana, helping her out.
The front door of the house opened and Janet waved. Trotsky came bounding up to Diana.
‘Darling boy, did you miss me?’
Trotsky wiggled and danced around Diana excitedly.
‘Calm down or you’ll send me over and I’ll do in a hip. Sit,’ Diana said firmly and Trotsky sat down.
‘I must look at this garden,’ she said.
‘We don’t have to do it all at once,’ Amanda said. ‘Why don’t we go inside and have tea and then we can see everything.’
Diana looked around. The gatehouse seemed very far away from Amanda now and she felt anxious at the distance for the first time.
‘What’s wrong?’ asked Amanda.
Diana thought about brushing it aside but she also needed reassurance. ‘I’m worried about being so far away. You will come and visit, won’t you?’
Amanda smiled. ‘You’re not that far now. Come inside, I have another surprise, and yes, I know you aren’t a huge fan of them.’
‘Not all surprises are good,’ said Diana as they walked inside the house. ‘I can smell paint,’ she said, looking around.
Amanda opened the door to the living room. ‘Your new suite is ready,’ she said, walking back to Diana’s side. ‘I think it best you live here now, with me and Simon. That way we can always be there for each other.’
Diana walked through the door and looked around. It was an elegant, updated room with her things perfectly arranged and a beautiful painting of a goldfinch over the mantel.
The sofa and chairs were by the French doors, which she could easily open to let the air in, and her books were on the shelves. Everything she liked from the gatehouse was up here in this huge, airy room.
Amanda opened the door to the butler’s pantry.
‘And you have your own bathroom,’ she said.
Diana walked over and looked inside.
‘You’re joking – you did all of this for me?’ she asked.
