Page 41 of The House Swap

Is it a convenient time to pop in for coffee?

Sue’s reply came almost immediately.

Of course. Come on over. We’d love to see you.

Twenty minutes later, Poppy was heading up the dirt track road to their villa.

As she passed Jem’s place, she noticed his car wasn’t there.

Hearing the sound of a door opening, Sue peered out. She must have been looking out for her. ‘Hello, Poppy! This is a nice surprise.’

‘Hi, Sue. How are you?’

‘Very well, my darling. You’re alone. I take it Keira did go home then?’

Poppy nodded. ‘Yes, she had an emergency.’

Immediately, she wished she hadn’t admitted that. If Sue tried to pry, Poppy had nothing to tell her. She still had no idea what Keira’s emergency had been.

Fortunately, the woman seemed to have already moved on.

She stepped back and waved Poppy in with theatrical enthusiasm. ‘Come on in. Don’t stand out there.’

The villa was immediately warmer than Tom’s. Not temperature wise, but in feeling. In fact, it was cosy to the point of being crowded.

The hallway opened straight into the living space, where a patterned rug covered the tiled floor, and matching sofas faced a large television that was mounted on the wall. A crocheted throw lay neatly folded over one armrest, and the faint scent of air freshener – floral and obviously artificial – permeated the air.

It was unmistakably British.

Framed photographs crowded a sideboard: holiday snaps, Christmas dinners, smiling faces in pubs. A Union Jack cushion sat defiantly among softer Mediterranean tones, and a bulldog doorstop with no door to guard sat on the floor beneath the TV, like a patriotic mascot. On another wall hung a wooden sign that read ‘Home Is Where We Park It’.

Had they ever owned a caravan?

The décor was cheerful, but busy. Cream walls were punctuated with bursts of navy and red, while patterned curtains were tied back with thick rope. Even the coffee table held coasters with London landmarks printed on them.

It felt like Sue and Ian had tried to bring Essex with them.

Yet, despite the clutter, everything was tidy. Cushions were plumped and surfaces polished. Nothing looked out of place.

Ian stood near the kitchen archway with a glass of lunchtime wine in his hand. He offered her a friendly nod, while Sue bustled towards the kettle.

‘Poppy might fancy something a bit stronger, love,’ he suggested. ‘We have a nice bottle of Pinot Grigio open outside.’

‘Thanks, but I’m happy with coffee,’ Poppy told him.

Ian shrugged, smiling to himself, as if he couldn’t quite believe she was passing up the opportunity of a lunchtime drink.

As he disappeared outside, Sue took a mug from one cupboard and a jarful of coffee from another.

‘Milk, sugar?’ she asked.

‘Just a little milk please.’

‘We can go and sit by the pool if you like instead of staying indoors,’ she suggested, handing Poppy her drink.

She followed Sue through to the back garden, grateful to once again be in the sunshine. Their outside space was compact, but there was enough space for a decent-sized patio table and chairs, while the pool was small, but looked clean and functional. Again, Sue and Ian had made their mark, with quirky gnomes and windmills. A high wall hid the garden from view, even though they only had a handful of neighbours.

‘You look tired,’ Ian observed as Poppy sat down and sipped at her coffee.