“I’m embarrassing you. I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to. I tease sometimes. It’s a bad habit. Perhaps you can help me break it.”

“Teasing’s all right,” he said. “I’m more…I’m a bit at sixes and sevens. Mostly, well…I thatch roofs.”

“Day in and day out?”

“That’s ’bout it.”

“And for entertainment? For relaxation? For a diversion? A break?”

He tilted his chin to indicate the dog. “That’s what she’s for.”

“Hmmm. I see.” She bent to Tess and petted the dog where she liked it best, just outside her ears. If the retriever could have purred, she would have done so. Gina seemed to reach a decision, for when she looked up, her expression was thoughtful. “Would you like to come out for a drink with me? As I said, I know no one in the area and as you do continue to seem quite harmless and as I’m harmless and as you have a lovely dog…Would you like to?”

“I don’t drink, actually.”

She raised her eyebrows. “You take in no liquids at all? That can’t be the case.”

He smiled, in spite of himself, but he made no reply.

“I was going to have a lemonade,” she said. “I don’t drink either. My dad…He hit it rather hard, so I stay away from the stuff. It made me a misfit in school but in a good way, I think. I’ve always liked to be different from others.” She rose then and brushed off the seat of her trousers. Tess rose as well and wagged her tail. It was clear that the dog had accepted Gina Dickens’ impulsive invitation. What was left for Gordon was simply to do likewise.

Still, he hesitated. He preferred to keep himself distant from women, but she wasn’t proposing involvement, was she? And, for God’s sake, she looked safe enough. Her gaze was frank and friendly.

He said, “There’s a hotel in Sway.” She looked startled, and he realised how that declaration had sounded. Ears burning, he hastened to add, “I mean Sway’s closest to here and they’ve got no pub in the village. Everyone uses the hotel bar. You can follow me there. We can have that drink.”