“I’m not from this place,” she told him. “But I expect you worked that out yourself.” She extended her hand. “Gina Dickens,” she said. “No relation. I know this is Tess-” with a nod at the dog who’d settled herself happily at Gina’s side-“but I don’t know you.”

“Gordon Jossie,” he told her and clasped her hand. The soft touch of it brought to mind how work roughened he himself was. How filthy as well, considering he’d spent all day on a rooftop. “I reckoned as much.”

“What?”

“That you weren’t from round here.”

“Yes. Well, I suppose the natives don’t get lost as easily as I do, do they?”

“Not that. Your feet.”

She looked down. “What’s wrong with them?”

“The sandals you were wearing at Boldre Gardens and now those,” he said. “Why’ve you got on wellies? You going into the bog or something?”

She did that bit with her mouth again. He wondered if it meant she was trying not to laugh. “You’re a country person, aren’t you, so you’ll think I’m foolish. It’s the adders,” she said. “I’ve read they’re in the New Forest and I didn’t want to run into one. Now you’re going to laugh at me, aren’t you?”

He did have to smile. “Expect to run into snakes in the forest, then?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “They’re out on the heath. They’ll be where there’s more sun. Could be you might run into one on the path as you cross the bog, but it’s not very likely.”

“I can see I should have consulted you before I changed my clothes. Have you lived here forever?”

“Ten years. I came down from Winchester.”

“But so have I!” She gave a look in the direction she’d come from and said, “Shall I walk with you for a while, Gordon Jossie? I know no one in the area and I’d love to chat, and as you look harmless and you’re out here with the sweetest dog…?”