Nick arrived back at the cottage, noting homely details that suggested a family morning in his absence. He hid a bag of cash under the hall settle, removed his coat and shoes, and went upstairs to find the bedroom door closed. Martha opened the door in a simple nightdress, and they had sex; throughout, Nick sensed Martha was acting, and he consciously matched her performance.

Afterward, as they lay together, Nick smelled fear in Martha and wondered what had changed since she had seen him at Nina’s. Martha gently steered the conversation to suggest a drive to Bangate to look again at their pavilion project, proposing dinner out and sharing that she had mood boards and had filled in forms for a business loan and a mortgage extension.

Martha referenced using money from the sale of Nick’s mother’s house, apologizing for insensitivity but stressing her desire to move forward with their shared dream. Seeing her apparent softness, Nick relaxed and agreed to the outing, interpreting her earlier nerves and sex as efforts to win him over.

Downstairs, Martha dressed casually and suggested leaving the dog, Baxter, at home in case they went somewhere that did not allow dogs. Nick considered revealing the cash to reassure her but decided to keep it hidden as a private escape fund, rationalizing that he would not need it now that he believed they were reconciled.

While Martha put the dog in the kitchen, Nick quickly stuffed as many stacks of notes as possible into his jacket pockets and retrieved his ever-ready escape pack. He pushed the bag back under the settle, then held the door for Martha as they left the house together, heading for the proposed trip.