Under the awning of an Adria Twin motorhome

Tom Hutchinson gazed at Mandy over his wine glass as they sat comfortably under the awning of the Adria Twin motorhome.

“It’s the old story, I suppose. I was too busy working hard to notice that I wasn’t spending enough time with my wife and when I got back from a major project, she was spending all her time with my neighbour and had no inclination to come back and spend time with me. It happens a lot in my line of work.”

“I would have thought that a writer would be working at home a lot and therefore would find it easy to spend time with his wife,” said Mandy, puzzled.

Tom Hutchinson hesitated, momentarily. “I do a lot of travel writing,” he explained, Mandy thought lamely.

Something didn’t ring true but Tom Hutchinson was the customer and she was the one needing a sale so she didn’t think it appropriate to press him.

It was enough to check the flow of conversation and, for a while, they ate and gazed over the rolling fields towards the sea, each in their own thoughts.

Tom Hutchinson was the first to break their silence.

“Marriage sucks,” he said.

“I’ll drink to that,” said Mandy.

They clinked glasses. The bond seemed to have been forged again between them.

“What about your boss’s farm. Do you think he makes a lot of money farming.

Mandy decided, suddenly, that Tom Hutchinson had asked too many questions about Ruarc’s business.

“I think there are two different kinds of businessmen in the world,” she said, cautiously. Whatever the economic climate, there are the sort of businessmen that succeed and there are the sort of businessmen that don’t. My boss is obviously very successful in his own way with his motorhome business and I’m sure that he applies the same business skills to his management of the farm. ”

It was a careful political answer. Both of them understood why – nothing more needed to be said. It was clear that Mandy had no intention of discussing her employer’s business any more.

They chatted inconsequential for a further five minutes and then, at Mandy’s suggestion, packed up and drove back to the Ruarc’s motorhome sales office.

Ruarc had gone out but there was a folded note under the windscreen wiper of Tom’s campervan.