just before the poetry reading.

'But you said there would be publishers!' said Horace.

'Well, I said I thought there might be, I never actually promised,' replied Norma, who was finding it hard to look at Horace.

'But there are only 3 people out there,' continued Horace, 'and of those, one's asleep, another's facing the wrong way and the last one's the hotel gardner!'

'Oh, I'm sorry,' mooed Norma,'I didn't realise that it would be so quiet. I didn't know it was so close to the end of the holiday season..maybe a few more will turn up and you never know, if only 1 of them is a publisher it could be the breakthrough you need and anyway I need you to do this so we can get Norman out the back without anyone seeing him!'

'Well I don't think there's much risk of that!' replied Horace.

'But you said you would!' said Norma and she very shyly glanced up at Horace.




'If you were else I'd say no!' replied Horace.

And Norma gave him just the briefest of smiles.