"Why don't we try it out. Let's just say I wanted you to come down here to live in that house that you've just bought. Around here is nice. You can do a bit of business to keep you occupied and in the evenings we can come and sing songs in the folk circle."

"We were talking about deals", said Peter visibly struggling with the effect her eyes were having on him. "What do I get out of this?"

"Absolutely anything you want - and I mean:" She paused to emphasise the point by speaking slowly and clearly. "Absolutely ... anything ... at all that you want - you see maybe I want absolute power over you therefore perhaps I will go to absolutely any end."

There were now two Sarah's. There was the deal maker who, feeling instinctively that opportunity was slipping through her fingers, was making a last ditch stand with cool calculation, playing the only card she had left – herself.

There was also the Sarah who inwardly cringed as Peter reached behind her in their embrace and cupped her behind in his strong hands. This was the Sarah that longed for all parts of her body and mind to be reserved for the hands of her husband.

"But I want you to remember something." The strong Sarah was well into acting the part now kissing him gently with each word.

"At the end of the day, when all the deals have been done and the temporary opportunities won, all that really remains is people, loyalty and what we mean to each other."

"Now there lies a conundrum", said Peter, and again there was the twinkle in his eyes. "Shall we just say I'll think about it!"

"Come on", said Sarah, pushing him away, "let's go for a walk down besides that river. It looks lovely out there. We can gaze together at the setting sun. Maybe you'll learn something about what's really important in life!"

They threaded their way past the dancers downstairs and found a gap in the hedge that took them to the back of the house and then onto a path that ran besides the river.

The air was soft and balmy with the scent of mown grass and some pink flowers that gave off a powerful sweet smell.

"One day I'm going to learn the names of flowers and how to distinguish between different trees", said Sarah. "Did you know that there are lots of different kinds of oak tree and that some of them live for hundreds of years?"

"Wood! Isn't that something you burn to keep yourself warm?" said Peter.

They linked arms to walk along and then after a while and, as the tension between them thawed a little, held hands again. Brown trout darted about in the clear water.

"You can't see them until they move", said Sarah in awe. "The are so quick that when they move they are just like flitting shadows."

A dragonfly buzzed across the river and landed on a large rhubarb shaped leaf that bounced up and down creating eddies in the slow moving stream.

They found a flat grassy spot to sit down and gaze at the water as it dashed over the stones and reflected the sun.

"So what are you going to do with that house you just bought?"

"Pay someone to tidy it up and then put it in the hands of a local holiday letting agent, I suppose", said Peter lying back with a sigh. "It's a good buy and will eventually recover its price and a lot more."

"But what will you do with all that extra money", enquired Sarah, wriggling next to him on her front and tickling his nose with a buttercup head.