Move Over Darling
occurred after I’d moved my father out, during that cold snap when he started to go really downhill. It’s pretty much uninhabitable at the moment.’
    ‘ Duw, duw !’ said Huw.
    ‘Good God, indeed. It doesn’t quite capture it, but it’s close enough,’ Gethin agreed. ‘It’s a waste to have the place standing empty like that when it could be a great family home.’
    ‘Yes, that’s what this place needs,’ Huw said, sounding much more cheerful. ‘Young couples, children. A bit of life in the community. You’ll need someone reliable to do the work. I’ll put the word out. See who we can find.’
    ‘I’d appreciate it,’ said Gethin, his stomach rumbling loudly.
    ‘No, not you, Edith,’ Huw went on, dragging her off Gethin’s jeans. ‘We know there’s plenty of life in you!’
    Gethin was looking quite frisky too, Coralie couldn’t help notice.
    ‘Well,’ said Huw, ‘Alys and I were planning a meal at The Cabin up at Abersaith this evening, but Alys isn’t feeling too good.’
    ‘Oh that’s a shame,’ said Coralie, genuinely concerned, but scenting an opportunity to escape. ‘It must have been sudden. She seemed fine when I spoke to her earlier. Would a visitor cheer her up?’
    ‘I think she’s got a bit of women’s trouble,’ Huw said, neatly halting further lines of enquiry. ‘Anyway, the hotel restaurant – wonderful food they do there now, Gethin. You wouldn’t recognise the place.’
    Even in the half-light Coralie could see he wasn’t convinced, but then he was used to New York and schlepping down to Buddakan or a trendy bistro in Manhattan’s meatpacking district or some other hip and happening joint, she thought, running out of Sex and the City hotspots. Welsh cuisine probably wasn’t sexy enough for him now, but once you got over the sight of laver bread and cockles, all that iodine was supposed to do wonders for your love life. On the other hand, Gethin Lewis didn’t look like a man who needed any chemical crutch to boost his libido.
    ‘It would be a terrible shame to waste the table,’ Huw went on slyly. ‘Why don’t you two take it? You haven’t been there, have you, Coralie?’
    Coralie knew she could lie, but she was out of practice and Huw had caught her off guard. Anyway, Gethin wouldn’t want to go so she didn’t have to worry.
    ‘Excellent idea, Huw,’ said Gethin, making her blink. ‘We’ll do that.’
    ‘Eight o’clock suit you?’ said Huw. ‘I mean, it’s eight o’clock we booked for.’
    What else could she do? ‘Eight o’clock,’ she repeated, neatly trapped.
    ‘Right you are then,’ said Huw. ‘Enjoy! Edith!’
    He strode off into the gloom with Edith scampering along beside him. Coralie made sure he was out of earshot before she turned to Gethin, who stopped her with a smile before she could speak.
    ‘Do you get the impression Huw’s desperate to make sure there’s a family living next door to him?’ He grinned. ‘Seems as if he’s not averse to trying anything to stop me selling the land for development or something like a caravan site. Even a spot of matchmaking.’
    Coralie was glad that, pulled up, the collar of her tweed jacket hid at least part of her face. ‘Oh dear,’ she said, squirming. ‘He’s not very subtle, is he? We’ll just have to make up some excuse, won’t we?’
    ‘No.’ Gethin rubbed his jaw. ‘Think of Huw’s feelings. He genuinely believes he’s doing everyone a favour. He’ll be racing back to the farmhouse now, drumming his fingers whilst someone at The Cabin trots off to find an appointments book they never need, because, hey, when was the last time there was a rush for tables at any restaurant round here? Think of how foolish he’ll feel if he thinks we’ve seen through him.’
    Coralie stared at him with new respect. Some of the stories circulating in Penmorfa suggested that Gethin Lewis’s sole concerns were for himself. She silently wondered if she’d fallen into the trap of believing

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