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responded by asking him to go downstairs and put the kettle on.
    ‘I’ll be down in five minutes to organize some dinner,’ she said.
    She turned on her side and looked at me. Her gaze was steady and the warmth of her breath was sweet. Then she smiled and it lit up her face and made me realize yet again how lucky I was to have her as my wife.
    ‘You were restless,’ she said. ‘Were you dreaming?’
    ‘I can’t remember.’
    ‘Well I slept like a log,’ she said. ‘And I feel much better now. In fact I’m looking forward to finally opening that bottle of champagne.’
    I reached up, stroked her face with the tips of my fingers. Her eyes were sleepy and sexy, her lips soft and inviting.
    ‘I was worried your birthday had been completely ruined,’ I said.
    She shook her head. ‘Don’t be daft. It’ll take more than a dead old snake and a foul smell to dampen my spirits on the first day of our vacation.’
    I pulled her close, buried my face in the nape of her neck. She put her arms around me and we stayed like that for perhaps a minute. I could hear a bird’s repetitive melody outside the window and I was so comfortable and content that I didn’t want to get up. But then Michael’s voice reached us from downstairs. He was shouting something about not being able to find the tea and coffee.
    Nicole rolled onto her back and expelled a sigh. ‘I’ll go down. Why don’t you nip in the shower and freshen up?’
    After she’d stepped out of the room I heaved myself up and looked out of the window. The sun was beginning to set, pulling the brightness out of the sky above the forest. My thoughts flashed back to what had happened earlier with the open doors and it caused my breathing to grow a little shallow. This wasn’t good. I needed to unwind and accept that there had to be a straightforward explanation for it. I just didn’t know what it was yet.
    I stepped into the en-suite and fired up the shower. I got the water as hot as possible without burning my skin and stood under the scalding spray for endless minutes, letting it batter the paranoia out of me. Afterwards, I dried and dressed and went downstairs.
    Nicole had raided the refrigerator and was preparing a dinner of chicken in breadcrumbs, fries and baked beans. Having laid the table in the kitchen she asked me to open the champagne. Tina appeared having slept in her clothes. Her hair was ruffled and her eyes looked dry and heavy.
    ‘Would you like some bubbly?’ I asked her.
    She cracked a smile and I realized that she was feeling much better. I handed her a glass and half filled it with champagne.
    ‘What about me?’ Michael said. ‘Can’t I have some of that?’
    ‘You’re too young,’ I told him. ‘Help yourself to a soft drink. There are several bottles in that cupboard.’
    He let the air out of his lungs in a long hiss and moaned under his breath that it wasn’t fair. Then he went to the cupboard while I poured champagne into glasses for Nicole and me.
    ‘Here’s to the birthday girl,’ I said, raising my glass.
    I reckoned it was high quality plonk which would have set the landlord back a fair few pounds. It reminded me that I wanted to talk to Mr Slade. I tried the landline phone again but it still wasn’t working. I found my cell and dialled his number. Once again it went through to his voicemail. I left another message for him to call me back and hung up.
    The guy was beginning to annoy me. He should have returned my call by now. He was being totally unprofessional and inconsiderate. I wanted to know about the snake and the smell and whether or not hehad dropped in unexpectedly. I resolved to give him a piece of mind when eventually he did get in touch.
    I was famished by the time we all sat around the table for dinner. Eating together cheered us all up. We even had a laugh about that disgusting smell that had greeted us on our return from the walk. Michael said it was almost as bad as when Tina farted. Tina retaliated by saying