text:
### The Willow Tree Hall Series

Love Begins at Willow Tree Hall

Summer Secrets at Willow Tree Hall

A Winter Wedding at Willow Tree Hall

Moonlight Kisses at Willow Tree Hall

# MOONLIGHT KISSES AT WILLOW TREE HALL

##

## Alison Sherlock

AN IMPRINT OF HEAD OF ZEUS

www.ariafiction.com
First published in the United Kingdom in 2019 by Aria, an imprint of Head of Zeus Ltd

Copyright © Alison Sherlock, 2019

The moral right of Alison Sherlock to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781786694959

Aria

c/o Head of Zeus

First Floor East

5–8 Hardwick Street

London EC1R 4RG

www.ariafiction.com

### Contents

Welcome Page

Copyright

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Acknowledgements

About Alison Sherlock

Become an Aria Addict

###

'We've got trouble.'

Lily Harper spun around to face Mary, the wide-eyed young intern who had just rushed up to her. 'What's up?' she asked.

'One of the waitresses has accidentally thrown red wine all down our hostess,' Mary told her with a grimace.

Lily glanced over Mary's shoulder and saw a glamorously dressed grey-haired lady sobbing in the middle of the ballroom.

'And that's not even the worst of it,' carried on Mary. 'The band were due to come on but their lead singer thinks she's coming down with a migraine. She's hiding in the toilet and won't come out, so there's no music. Somebody's nicked a whole heap of party bags, so there aren't enough to give out. Oh, and the finance director is so drunk he's climbed onto the stegosaurus and won't come down.'

Lily scanned the packed ballroom once more. Almost 800 people were packed into the Earth Hall of the Natural History Museum for the Forsythe & Sons annual banquet. A banner strewn across the stage read, 'Celebrating 54 amazing years of high-density, lightweight concrete blocks!'

'Where's Julie?' asked Lily, feeling irritated. 'This is her event, not mine. She can sort it out.'

'I can't find her,' said Mary, with a shrug. 'She said something about taking a break.'

A break? Lily pressed her lips together to stop herself swearing. When had Lily ever managed to take a break in the five years that she had been doing the job? And yet Julie was the one who had somehow survived the recent wave of redundancies at the event-organising firm where they all worked, whereas Lily would be out of a job the following week.

'Help me! Please!' pleaded Mary.

Lily sighed. 'Fine. Let's see what we can sort out.'

She walked towards where the chairman's wife was standing, grabbing a bottle of sparkling water and a pillar of salt from a nearby table as she went.

'Hello,' she said to the lady who was staring down in teary dismay at the ugly patch of red wine across her blue evening dress. 'Would you mind following me? We'll have that stain gone in a flash.'

The woman followed her to the ladies' washrooms, where Lily quickly used the water to moisten the stain and the salt to begin lifting off the stain. She blotted and sprinkled salt over and over until the stain could no longer be seen. The woman then stood underneath the hand-dryer, which quickly dried the damp patch.

'Thank you,' she said, with a grateful look towards Lily. 'I couldn't have coped looking like that all evening.'

'Not at all,' replied Lily, already reaching into her pocket as she headed across to where the band's singer was hunched in a corner clutching her head. 'Will ibuprofen help?' she asked, bending down.

The singer nodded. 'Yeah, probably. Thanks.'

Lily handed her the pills and the bottle of sparkling water to wash them down with.

As she straightened up, she caught Mary smiling at her. 'Wow. How'd you learn to do all that stuff?'

Lily shrugged. 'I've seen enough crises over the years to know what to do.'

And it still wasn't enough to keep her job, she reminded herself. After all, she hadn't gone to university like Mary and gained a degree. She had only scraped through that business studies course at sixth form over ten years previously. Once more, she felt distinctly average in both her professional and private life.

But perhaps that was about to change? She nervously fiddled with her bare ring finger. Maybe, just maybe, tonight was the night.

With two of the crises swiftly averted, Lily headed back into the ballroom. She could really do with an extra hand but she couldn't see her boyfriend, Mark, anywhere.

As Area Manager for the company they both worked for, he was there tonight to oversee the event.

Lily was hoping he had another, more personal reason to be there tonight as well. Especially as he had promised her a dance, which was unusual. But it was the perfect setting for what she hoped he had planned. Her heart filled with expectation, but all that would have to wait.

She went across to where a middle-aged man had clambered across the ropes and was now swaying as he hung onto the leg of the large stegosaurus skeleton.

'Hi,' she said to him. 'How about we get you a nice glass of water?'

The man blinked at her before breaking into a leering, lopsided smile. He slowly ran his eyes up and down her long black dress before settling on her face.

'Hello, beautiful.' His words were slurred. 'Redheads are my favourite.'

'How lucky for me,' said Lily between clenched teeth. 'Shall we?' She held out her hand to encourage him away from the priceless prehistoric exhibit.

'Anything for you, sweetheart,' he replied.

But, unfortunately, he used their hands connecting to pull her in towards him and press his body up against hers.

Lily felt a flare of anger at his disgusting behaviour. She was just about to knee him in the groin and follow it with a karate chop to his neck when she remembered where she was – and who she was, these days. She was wild Lily Harper no more. These days, she had to be responsible and practical, regardless of the man's vile actions. She had to be professional.

So she grabbed the drunken man and manoeuvred him across the rope barricade until he was finally on the right side and the stegosaurus was safe.

She pushed him down into a chair and went over to Mary, who was standing nearby. 'If he goes near any of the dinosaurs again, you have my permission to beat him over the head with a large fossil,' she whispered.

Mary grimaced. 'Do I have to? He looks like he'd probably enjoy it.'

'You can handle him,' Lily told her. 'Now, about the party bags. There were some spare ones lined up outside in the courtyard. I'll go and grab some.'

Lily looked around the room again for Mark but couldn't see him. Perhaps he was in the gents', trying out his speech. She wondered what he would say. Would he go down on one knee, even in the middle of the dancefloor? She secretly hoped so. That was how she had always wanted it to be done. And now the time was finally near.

A small frown creased her forehead. In fact, the time was actually a little overdue according to her life plan. She had wanted to get engaged on her birthday, but Mark had given her a lovely necklace instead of a ring. He knew about her plans to be engaged by the time she was thirty, so he only had until her next birthday to propose.

But she could forgive him for the short delay, as it was such a glorious setting that summer evening and would make an amazing story to tell their children. Perhaps they would come back to the Natural History Museum when the kids were old enough to understand.

'And that's where Daddy proposed to Mummy. Right by that dinosaur.'

Lily smiled expectantly at her reflection in the hallway mirror. She tucked a stray lock of red hair behind her ear, but her ponytail and simple makeup had remained in place. Her green eyes were framed with just a lick of dark mascara, her lips painted with a natural matte colour. Nice and neat. Nothing too outlandish.

She allowed herself a satisfied nod as she carried on past the mirror and downstairs to the cloakroom.

Her relationship with Mark might have been going well, but the recent loss of her job had been a massive disappointment. Even now, the panic was simmering inside her.

She didn't like surprises or anything unexpected occurring in her life. She hadn't done ever since the car accident that had knocked her whole world off its axis when she was sixteen years old.

These days, her life was mapped out so that there could be no room for hurt or pain. To be in total control was a good thing. It protected her from the very worst that life could offer. She was safe from hurt and would continue to be so, as long as everything went to plan each and every day.

She stepped outside into the spacious Darwin Centre courtyard and took a moment to enjoy the night air.

It was a perfect summer's evening with a full moon shining down from the night sky above. Not that you got to see too many stars in the centre of London. She felt a brief pang of longing for her home village of Cranley, where the sky was endless and full of stars, with not a skyscraper blocking the view.

She didn't know why she was feeling so unsettled and homesick at the moment. It had to be about losing her job, she supposed. But she had left her home village many years ago to take the burden of having to support her away from her parents. After all, she had hurt too many people back then. The ripples of pain were still being felt to that day by her family.

She focused back on the job in hand and spotted the spare party bags in the far corner of the terrace. As she walked away from the other partygoers, she thought she spotted movement behind the large trees lining the terrace. Lily had organised enough parties to know about all the sexy comings and goings that occurred. She would ignore whoever it was, grab the party bags and get out of there before anyone was embarrassed.

But at that moment her colleague, Julie, staggered out from behind a large tree. 'Easy, babe,' she said, laughing. She looked as though she was about to dive back in for another embrace when she saw Lily.

'Oh! Hi!' she said, the blush spreading across her cheeks.

'We need the spare party bags,' said Lily in a chilly tone of voice. 'You haven't left enough in the main hall.'

'Oh. Sure.' Julie stole a glance at the man who was still hidden behind the tree before grabbing as many of the bags by the handles as she could.

She almost ran across the terrace in her haste to get away.

Lily decided not to confirm the existence of the man who was probably one of the guests. It was just so unprofessional, she thought. Once more, she wondered why Julie should have been chosen for the job and not her. Because she didn't mess up her life and went to university, unlike you, whispered her inner voice.

But as Lily reached down for the bags, she glanced back at the man's feet, which were sticking out from behind the tree trunk, and was struck by the familiar blue of the shoes. That is odd, she thought. They look just like...

And then the man stepped forward.

Lily drew in a shocked breath as she stared up at Mark. His immaculate navy suit was covered in tiny little leaves that had fallen from the tree. At least he had the grace to look embarrassed whilst they stood there in stunned silence.

'You have lipstick on your face,' she finally blurted out.

He brought out a handkerchief and wiped away the traces of scarlet from his lips, the silence stretching out between them as she watched.

After he had put his handkerchief back into his pocket and finally made eye contact with her, she exploded.

'I don't believe it,' she told him, reeling from what she had witnessed. 'Two years of going out and I can't believe you chose tonight of all nights to cheat on me. I thought we were happy! I thought you were going to propose!'

'I wasn't,' he suddenly snapped, coming back to life. 'You thought I was going to propose.' He rolled his eyes. 'And God forbid we should step away from your wretched life plan!'

She gave a start. 'What do you mean by that?'

'I mean, our whole lives have been mapped out according to you! When we get engaged, married, kids... It's exhausting!'

Lily was shocked. How had this become her fault?

'I thought you loved me,' she told him, the pain causing her words to thicken in her throat.

'You don't give anyone a chance to love you,' he told her. 'You're so busy organising everyone and making them feel insecure that you don't give anyone a chance. Especially when they muck up and make a mistake. If they're not perfect, you shut down on them.'

'I'm not like that,' she told him quickly.

His handsome face was staring stonily at her now. 'It makes you cold, Lily. Ice cold. You're like some kind of robot on automatic pilot.'

Tears stung her eyes. He really thought she was that bad? Surely he understood why she had closed her emotions off for so long? That the pain in her past had made her the way she was?

She struggled to hold herself together. 'Well, I can see now that I was sadly mistaken in thinking that we even had a future together,' she said, in a wavering voice. 'I shall post your front door keys through the letterbox tomorrow on the way into work.'

He rolled his eyes. 'That's right. Go on with your planning.'

She wanted to ask him how long he had felt like that – how long he had seemingly hated her for.

But she couldn't bear it. She didn't want to know how he felt any more. She was wounded and so very upset.

She shook her head, as if dislodging an annoying insect rather than watching her dreams of marriage burst into flames and die before her.

'We must get back to the party,' she announced. 'We both have a job to do.'

'Of course,' he drawled. 'The show must always go on, eh?'

She watched him walk away, leaving her alone in the corner of the terrace away from the other partygoers. To her horror, she felt a tear roll down her cheek. She angrily wiped it away.

Not now, she reminded herself. She didn't have time to show weakness. She had a job to do. At least for another week, that was.

What she really wanted to do at that precise moment was to kick and scream and wail. Her younger, wilder self would have thrown a drink in his face, like in the movies. For a second, she relished the dream of Mark standing there dripping and miserable. To be free enough to do something that daring, it was so tempting...

But she reminded herself that part wasn't her any more. The wild, emotional side of her was long since buried beneath the guilt of what she had done to her family with her selfish actions.

So Lily straightened her back and strode back towards the main hall as if she didn't have a care in the world and her heart hadn't just been broken into a thousand pieces.

###

Jack Carter doodled on his notepad whilst his colleague continued to drone on about something next to him.

Meetings. He seemed to spend his whole life in them.

He glanced out of the window at the blue skies high above the skyscrapers of the city of London. A glorious summer day. A perfect day to be out on his motorbike, he thought with a pang of longing. The urge to break free of the homogenised air-conditioning and smog of the city and hit the leafy country lanes on his bike was never stronger than on beautiful days like today.

He frowned to himself. Not that he could ride his motorbike at the moment. He had let the road tax lapse whilst he had been abroad in Dubai for the past three years and had yet to sort it out, despite having been home for a couple of months.

Good thing he had his luxurious company car to use. But the thought gave him no pleasure. He drew his gaze back indoors to the executive meeting room and the row of men seated opposite him. All were dressed in sharp designer suits like him, but Jack knew that they would never give up their beloved BMWs and Mercedes for a Ducati motorbike like his. After all, that was what they bragged about most of the time anyway – who had the quickest 0–60mph times and all that.

Despite its being off the road for the time being, he liked to think that owning the motorbike kept him apart from the pack. That he still wasn't one of them.

He glanced across at Richard, his colleague, who was still speaking. Jack knew the type of man Richard was. A silver spoon in his mouth at birth, he had gone to the best schools and been afforded every opportunity in life. Meanwhile, Jack had fought and scrapped for everything.

Boys like Richard had once looked down on Jack. But he was having the last laugh now.

As the best salesman on the team, Jack had the biggest Rolex, the most expensive company car and the largest bonus each and every Christmas.

He had a lot to be grateful to Eric Thatcher for. Jack looked at the grey-haired man at the head of the glass table they were seated around. Eric had started with nothing, or so he claimed.

'We're alike, you and me,' he said all the time.

Jack had outwardly agreed with his boss, but, inwardly, he knew that Eric was wrong. Eric had rich parents who had given him everything, including the money to start up his now legendary hotel chain. First, he had conquered the world and now he wanted a Thatcher's hotel in every county across England. They were expensive, classy places to stay in the countryside for people with large amounts of money who expected the very best.

Jack always thought it ironic that his job involved dealing with such elegant places when his own upbringing had been anything but. Eric knew a little of the story – just as much as Jack would let on. Hardly anyone knew about the hard beginning he had been afforded in life.

Only his adoptive parents knew the whole sad tale. He frowned to himself as he realised the date. When had he last seen them? Had it been Father's Day, he wondered. A brief visit, as always, out of duty, having just returned from abroad after a long absence. A nondescript card handed over, followed by a cup of tea quickly gulped down before he rushed off.

He had barely had time to see them since arriving home three months previously. He spent much of his time going around the country and staying in Thatcher's hotels, which suited him just fine. The house he had built himself on the outskirts of his home village lay vacant most of the time. As well as the motorbike lying idle in the garage.

He fiddled with the gold signet ring on his little finger. What would his birth father make of it all if he could see his son now? Jack's eyes hardened as he stared across the table at the blank wall. He would probably just want money. Certainly not a relationship. Nor would he be likely to display any kind of pride in what his son had achieved from his lowly beginnings.

But Jack didn't care. Why try and have a relationship with the birth parents who'd abandoned him at such a young age? He had spent most of his childhood being shunted from foster home to foster home, being dismissed as worthless, useless or dangerous. But he had proved them all wrong, hadn't he? In retaliation, he got his thrills by making more money than he had ever dreamed of. Each year he wanted more and more, determined to make his own destiny – to hell with everyone else.

If they could see him now, all those people who had looked down on him in the past, they would be amazed. He was an accomplished salesman in high demand. He was mortgage-free. He would never be homeless or hungry ever again. He belonged to nobody and no one.

On top of this, Eric had had to give him a vast pay rise just to lure him back from the Middle East earlier that year.

Yet, deep down, he frequently felt frustrated. He felt stifled and bored. Really and truly bored, each and every day.

'So, Jack, I think this should be your baby.'

Jack blinked back to life on hearing his name and found everyone turning to look at him.

'Sure,' he said, nodding along as if he had understood every word.

Actually, it wasn't that hard to work out. Eric Thatcher bought run-down large properties for dirt-cheap prices and then renovated them, turning them into his chain of hotels. It was probably just another large house for Jack to buy, making a deal with some poor owner who had got themselves in too deep with a hefty mortgage, as usual.

'It'll be perfect for us,' Eric carried on. 'I mean, look at it! It's an absolute beauty.'

Jack looked at the photo on the screen at the end of the room. It was a large, elegant mansion that stirred some distant memory inside his brain.

'Nice,' he said, with an approving nod.

'What about the bypass?' asked Richard, looking down at his notes. 'It's been flagged up on the initial searches.'

Eric waved away his concern. 'My contact on the council says the route will be signed off later this year. One of the proposed directions was quite near to the place but my friend assures me that it won't happen.' Eric laughed. 'It'll cost me, mind you!'

Eric had quite a few dubious friends in high places, which always worked to the company's advantage.

'How do you know the owners will sell?' asked Jack.

It was always the biggest problem that they had to contend with.

Eric was still smiling. 'I pulled a few strings with my contacts at the bank. Apparently, the family are only just keeping their heads above water.'

'I'm not surprised, if it's privately owned,' said Jack, looking at the photo once more. 'The overheads must be huge to run a place like that.' But the familiarity of the place was still nudging his brain. 'What's it called?' he asked.

'Willow Tree Hall,' said Eric. 'But we can change the name.'

Jack turned to stone. He glanced down at the paperwork in front of him as Eric continued chatting. He hadn't even bothered to check it until that moment.

'It's in some little village called Cranley.' Eric looked at his notes. 'Apparently it's a small estate with cottages and so forth. But we're not interested in those. We just want the big house. Maybe the family can move into one of the outlying properties. Anyway, it's all owned by Arthur Harris. You won't believe it but his actual title is—'

'The Earl of Cranley,' said Jack, with a small sigh. No wonder the photo had rung a bell.

Eric looked impressed. 'You know your Debrett's, that's for sure. Maybe you've got friends in high places as well.'

'Cranley is the next village along from where my parents live,' said Jack in a flat tone.

Eric looked hopeful. 'And do you know this earl?'

Jack shook his head. 'Never met him, but I went to school with his eldest grandson, Sam.'

'Better and better,' said Eric. 'You can use that old school network to our advantage.'

Jack nearly burst out laughing at the irony. The private boarding school had been a nightmare where the boys had teased his rough accent and even rougher ways. His adoptive parents had scraped together the money to send him there as a day pupil, but he had never fitted in. There were only a few boys that he had got on well enough with, two of whom were Sam Harris and his younger brother Will. They had been kind enough towards him in those days.

'Are you still friends?' asked Eric. 'It would certainly smooth along the consultation period if you were in with the family.'

Jack shook his head. 'Sam and I haven't seen each other since school.'

Perhaps it would be nice to catch up with Sam after at least twelve years. But that's all, thought Jack. He had pretty much kept himself to himself at school, such was the shock of going from the streets to a private boarding school in the space of a year.

'Pity.' Eric brightened up. 'Ah well. At least you'll be going in there as a friend and not the enemy.'

Jack wasn't sure the word friend applied when he hadn't seen Sam in so many years. They had both moved on in that time.

But Eric sounded determined. And whatever Eric wanted, he normally received. 'So you make the contact and have a nice little chat with the family,' his boss was saying. 'Go there and offer what it takes to get them to sign on the dotted line. Not too much though, eh? I still want to make a tidy profit. But I want this place for our portfolio. Got it?'

Eric could be ruthless on occasion but business was business, after all. And if Jack could get the Harris family to sell up, it would be another major accomplishment in his career.

As Jack tidied up his paperwork after the meeting, he spotted one of the secretaries looking at him. As always, his automatic assumption was that they were inspecting him like a speck of dirt on their shoes. But, no. Glancing at her again, he realised she was giving him a flirty smile. He didn't return it.

He didn't like being the centre of anyone's attention. He knew that he was OK to look at. But he didn't need anyone else's company or desire it to keep him warm at night. He was just fine on his own. He couldn't imagine ever falling in love with someone so hard that he couldn't bear to be without them. It was unthinkable.

Everyone else had let him down too often. He didn't need anyone.

But the thought of Cranley had brought up other memories he had long since tried to hide.

Of yet more guilt.

Would Lily Harper still be living there? Surely not, after all this time. It was highly unlikely. The wild girl he had known would be all grown up and long gone. After all, she had always been desperate to escape and see the world.

But he knew that he would be looking out for her as he drove through the village, anyway. And that she was the reason that he had barely been home for almost fourteen years.

###

The late afternoon sun blinded Lily briefly as she drove towards Cranley.

Although the lane was narrow and twisty, it was her favourite way to go home as it afforded her the best view of the village.

The view caused her to smile for the first time in a fortnight. It had totally been the right decision to head home for a while and not stay in London.

She'd tried not to think about Mark's betrayal and the utter misery of the past two weeks as she had packed up her life in London. She had tried to find a new job, but to no avail. Then the deposit on her flat had been kept from her due to her flatmates ruining the lounge carpet with candle wax burns.

Lily sighed and concentrated on looking out from the high viewpoint over the last rolling hill towards the village of Cranley.

It was a tiny English hamlet nestled amongst the hills in a valley. In the centre was the ancient church of St Barnabas, its wobbly spire high above anything else in the village. Along the main street was the infant school, a couple of shops and a pub.

Willow Tree Hall could just be seen peeping through the trees beyond. Normally it was surrounded by lush green fields and, out of view, the river. But after a hot, dry summer, the fields were golden as the grass had died, leaving only the baked, scorched earth.

She smiled, as she always did whenever she saw the view. She had been so determined to escape Cranley when she had been a teenager, but ever since then she had yearned to be back there and missed it terribly whenever she was away for any length of time. Especially as somewhere in the valley her parents and grandad were waiting for her in a tiny cottage.

Her grandad had moved into the family home after he had been diagnosed with heart problems a year ago. He had taken Lily's old bedroom and that was fine, because she was never going to move home again. Or so she had thought at the time.

Lily glanced in her rear-view mirror but couldn't see out at all, such were the number of bags and suitcases that she had packed into her Mini. She had spent all morning traipsing up and down the three flights of stairs, to and from the room she had rented in a shared flat, to cram her belongings into her car.

She had been hoping to move out and straight into Mark's flat once she was engaged. But she hadn't even heard from him since that night at the Natural History Museum. She sighed heavily. A failed relationship. And now she was jobless too. So much for her life plan.

But at least she was still in control. There was no way that she was going to even consider living in yet another dodgy flat. She would take stock in her lovely home village for a week or so and then start again. She really couldn't afford to take any longer than a brief holiday, but it would be so good to see her family again.

She pulled up the car outside No. 1 Cherry Tree Avenue. The road was wide and tree-lined, bathed in the warm sunshine on a mid-August late afternoon.

As she got out of the car, she noted how dusty the ground was. It had been weeks since it had rained properly.

She straightened up from grabbing her handbag from the passenger seat, and the front door to the neighbouring cottage was suddenly flung open.

'Hiya!' said Megan, popping her head around the corner. 'I thought it was you. Welcome home!'

'Thanks,' said Lily.

Megan's family had lived next door, at No. 2, for as long as she could remember. When Megan's parents had moved up to Scotland a few years previously, Megan and her husband Neal had moved in to make it their own family home.

'I'm sorry about your job, though,' said Megan. 'Your mum told me. And about the breakup as well.'

'Good news sure travels fast,' said Lily, with a grimace.

'I think your mum's secretly pleased to have you back for a while,' said Megan, with a wink.

'I know she is,' said Lily, blowing out a sigh. 'It's just, you know, having to move back in with your parents when you're nearly thirty...'

And the only spare bedroom was now a tiny box room.

'Think of the cheap rent,' said Megan, with a grin.

Lily didn't have the heart to tell her that it wasn't so cheap – she had been sending part of her wages to her parents each month to keep a roof over their heads.

'Oh! I nearly forgot,' carried on Megan. 'I've got a parcel for you.'

Lily headed around the path and up towards No. 2. The grass was overgrown on either side and, inside, the sounds of a hectic family home filtered into the evening air.

'It's a big one today,' said Megan, reappearing with a large cardboard box. 'Thankfully, it's lighter than it looks.'

Lily took the parcel and checked the label. She wasn't surprised to see her dad's name on the label, despite the box appearing to be from a baby food company.

'Another day, another win,' said Megan, with a smile.

'I guess so,' said Lily, looking down at the box. 'If it's age appropriate, you can have whatever's in here.'

'Thanks,' said Megan. 'Little Sam really enjoyed last week's free rusks.'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'I don't know why Dad insists on entering all the competitions for children as well as all the other stuff,' she said.

'I'm not complaining,' said Megan.

Lily understood. Times were hard and her dad's obsession with entering competitions at least meant that everyone stood to gain from his surprisingly frequent winning entries.

The sound of chaos at the back of the house was getting louder.

Megan groaned. 'Paddling pool time,' she said, with a grunt. 'Which at least will replace the horror of bath time. And then bedtime followed swiftly by gin o'clock.'

Lily smiled and laughed. 'I'd better leave you to it.'

'Look, pop in and have a coffee tomorrow, yeah?' said Megan, giving her arm a squeeze. 'You can bitch about your horrible ex and I can moan about the kids.'

'Thanks,' said Lily. 'That'd be nice. Good luck with the paddling pool!'

'I'm going to need it,' said Megan, rolling her eyes. 'I don't know who ends up more wet. See you tomorrow.'

Lily carried the box across the front gardens and up to her own front door. She managed to manoeuvre the key into the lock whilst holding onto the box and open the door.

'Hello,' she called out, nudging the front door closed with her hip and putting the box down.

Celia Harper dashed out of the kitchen, which was at the back of the house, to hurry along the hall towards her. She was still wearing the plain clothes that she always wore under her supermarket uniform. Her red hair was shorter and paler than her daughter's, and sprinkled with grey.

'Hello, darling!' she said, sweeping Lily into a warm hug. 'You're almost late. Dinner's in three minutes.' She stepped back to give her daughter a once-over. 'You're looking tired. Hardly surprising given that your heart's just been broken. My poor girl. Well, we won't mention his name again. He's not worth it.'

Her mother paused for breath, and Lily took advantage to get a word in edgeways. 'Shall I get the rest of the stuff from the car after dinner?'

'Oh, lordy, yes,' said Celia, rolling her eyes. 'Otherwise we'll never hear the end of it from your grandfather if it's a minute over half past six.'

As her mum rushed away again, Lily picked up the box and carried it into the front room where her dad was stationed in front of the television, as always.

'Hi, Dad,' she said, placing the box down next to his chair.

She noted that he wasn't wearing his prosthetic leg, which probably meant that he hadn't left the house again that day.

He muted the TV. 'Hello, love,' he said, as she bent down to give him a kiss on the cheek. 'How are you?'

'Never better,' she lied.

'Never liked the bloke, anyway,' he muttered, giving her a wink.

Lily nodded at the cardboard box. 'They delivered this to next door by mistake.'

'Great,' he said. 'I've been expecting this one.'

With the delight of a child at Christmas, he ripped open the box and picked up the delivery note. 'Five sets of bath-time toys, as well as baby talc, lotion and bubble bath.'

'Well done,' she said. 'What was the competition this time?'

'Can't remember, love, to be honest.'

'What's that?' asked her mum, appearing at the door.

'Baby stuff,' said her dad, beaming.

Her mum looked briefly at Lily before sighing. 'Dinner's on the table,' she announced.

Lily put down her handbag and followed her mum into the kitchen.

'He doesn't think, sometimes,' Celia murmured.

'It's fine,' said Lily, crossing the room to pick up the salt and pepper from the side.

Except it wasn't. She had wanted a family of her own for many years. She also wanted a man who loved her, and a happy, secure, steady life. And she had none of that at the moment.

'Evening, all,' said her grandad as he came through the open back door.

Lily smiled and rushed across to give him a hug. As always, Bert Harper smelled of earth and grass.

It was her grandfather who had set dinnertime at six-thirty sharp every day. As his daughter-in-law, Lily's mum had taken on the responsibility of the strict timing once he had moved in, much to her chagrin.

'Good to have you back,' he said to Lily, his eyes twinkling at her below shaggy grey eyebrows.

'Good to be back,' she replied, giving him a kiss on a cheek that had a five o'clock grey shadow of stubble on it.

Her grandad had never been a smartly turned out man. But Lily loved him, despite his gruff way of speaking with nearly everyone who wasn't her. She knew she was the apple of his eye and had never minded his abrupt way of talking to everyone else but her.

'How was your day?' asked her mum, as she laid the plates onto the table.

'Everywhere is parched,' said her grandad, sitting down at the head of the table. 'The earth is so hard after all these weeks of no rain.'

Her grandfather was head gardener at Willow Tree Hall. In fact, he was the only gardener at Willow Tree Hall, such was the depleted staff at the great house these days. He was the same age as the Earl of Cranley, whose estate both the Hall and Cranley itself belonged to. Thankfully, Arthur Harris, the earl, had kept the rent for the cottages as low as he could for the past fifty years and only rented out the sixty or so cottages to local workers. Some of the cottages had been in the same families for generations. But her grandad had given up his to move in twelve months previously.

'They're saying September should bring some rain,' said her dad, as he came into the kitchen on his crutches. 'That'll freshen things up a bit.'

Once Richard had joined them at the table, they all began to help themselves to the food laid out before them.

'I hope you weren't digging,' said her mum in a stern voice. 'That won't do your back any good.'

'Can't plant onions otherwise,' said Bert, giving Lily a wink before ducking his head back down.

Celia's mouth pressed into a thin line as she decided against further nagging of her father-in-law.

'Where's the butter for the new potatoes?' asked Lily's dad, looking around the table. 'And how about a bread roll?'

'There isn't any,' replied Celia. 'The doctor said you need to lose a bit of weight, so you'll eat them without.'

Lily gave her dad a sympathetic smile but remained quiet. There was no point in getting involved in the constant discussion about her dad's health. His weight was beginning to become a bit of a problem, as he barely left the house these days.

It was quiet at the table for a few minutes whilst they carried on eating.

'It's nice to have you home,' said Celia, looking across the table at Lily. 'Whatever the reason. What will you do next with your career?'

'It was hardly a career,' said Lily, with a laugh. 'You know that I can't find any other work. Things are tight all over.'

It wasn't as if she had any discernible skills, either. And whose fault was that, she reminded herself. She had wasted her teenage years and ended up with a very small Business Studies qualification.

She was just an ordinary person who had managed to drag herself a few rungs up the career ladder, mostly by chance. But now she was back at the bottom again and had no idea what to do next.

'There might be a vacancy at the supermarket,' said her mum.

Lily grimaced, which her mother unfortunately caught sight of. 'There's no point in having airs and graces, my girl,' said Celia in a stern tone. 'You need to work and it's possible that Audrey might leave in the next month.'

Lily nodded. She loved her mum. She just didn't know whether she could live and work with her twenty-four hours a day. But the fact that she needed a wage to continue helping out the family would quickly become a problem if she couldn't find a job any time soon.

After dinner, Lily and her grandad cleared the plates off the table before Bert headed into the front room to read the newspaper.

Lily wiped down the kitchen table.

'Thanks, love,' said her mum, looking weary as she stood up. 'It's been a long day. I'm just going to go and have a shower. I need to get out of these sweaty clothes.'

Lily and her dad watched in silence as Celia leave the room. Her dad played with the salt and pepper pots, which had been placed back in the middle of the table.

'I made ten pounds today from the sale of that food blender on eBay,' he finally said.

'That's great, Dad.'

He shrugged his shoulders. 'I try, Lily. I really do.' He looked downcast. 'Folks haven't got as much money to spread around so they're not paying so much for my stuff at the minute.'

'I know.'

'I try and do my bit for the family. Your mother works so hard. She's even taken on extra shifts.' Her dad's bottom lip wobbled.

Lily couldn't bear to see him upset and leapt up to wrap her arms around her dad.

'If only she didn't have to work at the bloody supermarket,' he muttered into her shoulder. 'She trained to be a chef. That's what she enjoys doing. It's all my fault,' he said, his voice almost a whisper now. 'I should be out there earning.'

'It's not your fault, Dad,' Lily told him, squeezing him harder now. 'Look, don't get upset. It's my first night home.'

'You're a good girl,' he said, pulling back to give her a teary smile. 'Tell you what I did win last week. A lovely bottle of gin. Maybe you could mix us up one of your fancy cocktails later.'

'That sounds like a plan,' said Lily. 'In the meantime, you go and watch your quiz show. I'll bring you and Grandad a cup of tea.'

'Thanks, love.'

She watched as he slowly manoeuvred himself up from the table and onto his crutches. Richard Harper had once been a vibrant, energetic man and a skilled carpenter. The car accident had changed everything. She could still remember a time when her dad was able to work. When he could drive. When he laughed. When he wanted to leave the house...

But the accident fourteen years ago had not only robbed him of the lower part of his right leg but also his life, it felt. Of all their lives, in fact. Nothing had been the same since.

Lily turned to look at the garden. It was a beautiful summer's evening and, for a second, she allowed herself the whisper of a memory of a similar night, many years previously. The sound of the river bubbling nearby. The long grass tickling her bare legs. And Jack, holding her close and kissing her.

She abruptly turned away as other, more painful memories threatened to materialise as well.

She had blamed Jack for such a long time but, ultimately, the fault of the accident would always remain with Lily. And she carried the guilt with her each and every day.

###

Lily woke up in bed with a start, wondering briefly where she was. Then the pale pink walls of her parents' box room slowly came into view and she remembered she was living back at home.

Lying in bed, she turned her head. The room hadn't changed at all from when she had been a teenager. A dumping ground for all and sundry, now also filled with her own boxes and suitcases.

Lily grabbed her phone, as she had done every morning for the past two weeks, hoping to see many text messages or emails offering her employment or even from Mark to say what a horrible mistake he had made and how he desperately wanted to marry her. But her inboxes were empty.

She automatically opened up the Notes folder next. She loved lists. They were her life. Everything went down on one and she had separate lists for her job as well as her social life and even her next food shop. She had even made a list to remind her what to pack when she had left her rental flat the previous day.

Then there was the list entitled Life. This one had marriage, children, all listed by the appropriate age she should be when each life event happened. She was now twenty-nine and had succeeded in none of her wishes. She didn't know why she kept the list when it was obvious that she had failed at it.

She quickly dismissed it from the screen and brought up another. These were her work goals. Promotion. More money. Small flat. Perhaps even enough saved up for a deposit to buy her own place. Again, a big fat zero achieved, with no happy ticks alongside the list. And definitely no money, either, in any of her accounts. She had one month's worth of wages to live on and that was it.

She bit her lip. It was all a disaster. Not knowing what else to do, she slowly got up. Smacking her elbow against the wall as she shuffled around the tiny space, she briefly wished she was in her old bedroom, which was a good size. But that was her grandad's now. The box room would have to suffice.

She wandered downstairs in her pyjamas and found the family in the kitchen having eaten breakfast already.

'Are you going up to Willow Tree Hall today, Grandad?' asked Lily, making herself a large coffee. 'I've got nothing on until later this morning when I'm meeting Megan, so I can always drop you up there, if you'd like.'

Bert shook his head. 'Got to sort out a few bits in the shed first, so I'll cycle up there this morning. But thanks, love.'

The wedding ring on his finger glinted as he drained his mug of tea.

Her grandmother, a stern woman, had passed away five years previously. Lily's main memory of her was as a somewhat distant woman who had never smiled.

Her grandad could be as equally stern as his late wife had been. But on the quiet, when he thought nobody was looking, he had secretly handed her toffees and sweeties when she was younger. Sometimes, it would even be a bunch of cut flowers from the allotment. But mostly it was vegetables from the large walled garden that he tended at Willow Tree Hall.

It was only the previous year at the age of seventy-two that he had finally admitted he was struggling to live on his own and had moved in with his son and daughter-in-law.

'So, what will you do with yourself today?' asked her mum, who was batch-cooking at the stove. She had become very skilled at making cheap cuts of meat stretch to feed the family.

'Look for a job,' said Lily, with a sigh. 'I'm not sure how many event management jobs there are around here, though. Oh, I'm popping in to see Megan later this morning to catch up.'

'Such a shame about the redundancy,' said her mum, shaking her head sadly as she chopped up some garlic. 'And now single again as well. No children either. The only thing you had going for you was your career.'

'Gee, thanks a bunch, Mum,' said Lily, rolling her eyes.

'I didn't mean it like that, darling.' Her mum took a chopping board over to the sink.

Lily took the criticism and tried to ignore it. In her younger years, she and her mum had fought and argued to the point that she had been desperate to escape from her home. But these days, there was too much pain and, anyway, all their petty rows over nothing were in the past.

She was still feeling pretty low, so was glad she still had her visit to Megan next door later in the morning.

*

'Come on in,' said Megan, as soon as she opened the front door. 'My mum is babysitting the kids at her place, so it's safe to enter.'

'How is the family?' asked Lily.

Megan groaned. 'Exhausting, and we're only four weeks into the summer holidays. God help me.'

Inside, the cottage was a mirror image of Lily's own home, but whereas hers was fairly dull, Megan's was packed with toys and life, and, as it turned out, Annie, Megan's best friend.

'Hi,' said Annie, giving Lily a hug as soon as she went into the lounge. 'Lovely to see you. Hope you don't mind me crashing your gossip session. I was on my way home from the doctor's.'

Annie had gone to school with Megan and, along with their other friend, Eleanor, the three of them had been as thick as thieves throughout their lives. Recently reunited as they all now lived in the village, Lily had heard that they were as close as ever.

Annie had been in the year above Lily at school until her parents had moved away. However, she had returned to Cranley a year and a half ago where, to the amazement of everyone in the village, she had fallen in love with and eventually married Sam Harris, Arthur's grandson. With Sam first in line to inherit the earldom from Arthur, Annie was suddenly elevated from housekeeper to future countess.

'It's great to see you, too,' Lily told her. 'I haven't seen you since the wedding, anyway.'

It had been a beautiful ceremony and reception at Willow Tree Hall. Lily remembered making mental notes about the decoration for her own future wedding to Mark. How could she have been so blind?

'You're really starting to get big now,' said Lily, looking at Annie's baby bump.

Annie smiled a little wearily. 'I know. But I think my swollen ankles are showing worse.'

She was dressed in leggings and a baggy T-shirt. Hardly countess material, but certainly comfortable-looking.

Megan brought in a packet of biscuits and three mugs of coffee.

'When are you due?' asked Lily.

'Tenth of October.' Annie automatically touched the bump. 'It's been a bit grim, actually,' she said, her pretty face screwing up into a grimace.

'Grim is an understatement. It's been like something out of The Exorcist up at the Hall,' said Megan, sitting down. 'Poor thing's got the worst morning sickness.'

Annie nodded. 'It's true. And it didn't stop at twelve weeks, either. I don't know when I'm supposed to look radiant and blooming. I just feel tired and sick most of the time.'

'How awful,' said Lily. 'Poor you.'

'Here, I got you some ginger biscuits,' said Megan, leaning forward to pass the packet to Annie.

'You've lost a bit of weight,' said Lily, studying Megan.

'You think so?' said Megan, blushing as she picked up her mug. 'I have been trying to, haven't I? Plus I've been running around like a loony since beginning to help out Eleanor with her business.'

'It's still going well?' asked Lily.

Eleanor had started up a natural beauty business in the stable block of Willow Tree Hall.

Megan nodded. 'It's really taken off, so I help her out when little Sam's at nursery. Apart from today, that is. Thankfully, she's up in London with Tom today.'

'Tommy King?' asked Lily, her eyes widening. She had heard the rumours, of course.

Tommy King was a global superstar who had arrived in the village the previous summer to record his new album. Annie's husband, Sam, was his manager and had built a recording studio in the grounds. Eleanor and Tommy were now living in the old forge in the village.

'I think they'll be shopping for an engagement ring before too long,' said Annie, grinning.

'Wow,' said Lily. It seemed as if everyone was settling down and partnered up except her.

Something must have shown in her face, as Annie suddenly said, 'I was sorry that you broke up with your boyfriend.'

'I blabbed,' Megan added. 'Sorry.'

'That's OK.' Lily shrugged her shoulders.

'Was he really cheating on you?' asked Megan.

'Yup.'

'Tosser,' muttered Annie.

'Absolutely,' said Megan, nodding her head in agreement. 'You're well shot of him, if that's what he's like.'

'You've had a tough time recently,' said Annie, looking at her in pity. 'Between that and losing your job.'

'Yeah, I'm living the dream being back in my parents' box room,' said Lily, with a grimace.

'What will you do now?' asked Megan.

Lily shrugged her shoulders. 'There aren't too many event management jobs around here. And that's all I know. Or, rather, that's all I've been doing for the past five years. Really, it was just the paperwork, mainly. And coordinating staff, invoices, the lot. I love a good mess, me.'

'You should come up to the Hall then,' muttered Annie. 'It's in chaos at the moment.'

'What's going on?' asked Lily. 'I thought all the renovations were finished?'

'Almost. But it's not that. There's just so many of us to keep track of these days,' said Annie. 'You heard Sam's younger brother is back for good now? And he got married, so there's both Will and Skye around all the time. Which is lovely, don't get me wrong. But everyone likes to eat dinner together in the evening and I just haven't got the effort in me to plan and cook meals at the minute.'

'Arthur doesn't make too much mess though, does he?' said Megan, with a smile.

'Of course not,' said Annie, her face softening.

'Is his sister, Rose, still living at the Hall?' asked Lily.

'Yes. Do you know her?'

Lily nodded and smiled. Everyone knew Rose Harris. A warm, friendly pensioner of extravagant fashion sense with a wicked sense of humour. Married four times, she had been around the world but had come home to Willow Tree Hall when Arthur had been widowed a few years ago.

'So there's Sam and me,' carried on Annie, counting on her fingers. 'Will and Skye. They live in Willow Tree Lodge, which is in the grounds. Eleanor is always popping in with Tom. And Arthur and Rose.'

'Sounds nice,' said Lily. 'A place filled with life.'

'Only problem is trying to keep track of everything and everyone. They're all so busy with their own jobs and trying to keep the place afloat. Not that I was any good at it when I was housekeeper, and there was only Arthur and Rose then! I need some help, but I don't know where to start.'

'I know,' said Megan, her eyes gleaming as she looked from Annie to Lily. 'You should be their temporary housekeeper!'

Lily was startled. 'I don't know how to be one of those!' she said, laughing. 'I haven't got any experience in being a housekeeper.'

'That's a good idea,' said Annie enthusiastically. 'And, besides, I didn't have any experience either.'

'And it showed,' murmured Megan.

'Excuse me?' said Annie in a mock stern tone.

'You were awful and you know it.' Megan looked back at Lily. 'I mean, you say you're used to organising stuff and people. You'll be great. They're desperate up there, honestly.'

'I was a little bit more organised than you're giving me credit for,' said Annie, almost affronted.

'Listen, I love you but don't push it,' said Megan. 'But it doesn't matter. Dream husband, dream home, baby on the way. So just bask in the irritating bloody marvelousness of your good fortune and let Lily get some organisation in the place. Honestly, there weren't even any loo rolls in the guest bathroom when I last went.'

Annie blushed. 'I just forgot to pick up any, that's all.'

'You've got full-on baby brain,' said Megan. 'Why don't you let Lily take over? It'll be fine.'

They both turned to look at Lily.

'I don't know,' she told them, trying to think of any reasons not to take the job. Was it too good to be true? But she needed to get another job, and fast, to keep helping out her family.

'Listen, maybe think of it as just for the time being,' said Megan. 'To tide you over until you get another job. Just whilst Annie is pregnant.'

'Why don't you come up to the Hall this afternoon?' said Annie. 'If you're free, that is. I'll show you around and you can make up your mind. No pressure, honestly.'

So it would only be for the next two months or so? Lily wondered whether she should dare to go for it. But jobs were hard to come by and it wasn't as if she had any stunning qualifications to her name. Plus, the money would tide them all over until she found something more permanent.

Lily was shocked to find she was nodding her head. Her family needed the money and, besides, this job seemed to have landed in her lap quite by chance. Perhaps it was worth heading up to the Hall to find out for herself.

###

Jack brought his car to a halt on the brow of the hill just outside of Cranley and wound down the window.

He took a moment on the edge of the hill to look around him. The hot, dry summer had turned the fields to brown but the patchwork quilt of countryside in front of him still looked so beautiful.

And extremely familiar.

It seemed a long time ago and yet it could have been only yesterday, as the hurt stung at him deep inside. The feeling of being an outsider. The feeling of never belonging that had stayed with him year after year.

He looked across the valley to the large stately home of Willow Tree Hall, barely visible through the trees. Had he ever been inside the house when he was young? He doubted it. He certainly couldn't remember that far back.

But this time he wasn't a visitor. He wasn't an awkward schoolboy, either, with a massive chip on his shoulder, scowling at his adoptive parents. He was a highly paid property developer with a job to do. Life was pretty peculiar sometimes.

He revved up his Mercedes and set off once more.

The journey to Willow Tree Hall led him through Cranley village. From what he could remember, the tiny hamlet had barely changed in the fifteen or so years since last he had seen it. There were only a handful of cottages and shops. All the buildings were made from a sand-coloured stone, which made the whole place very attractive to look at.

His parents only lived a couple of miles down the road and he had his own property just a short distance away by car. And yet he hadn't returned to Cranley since that fateful night all those years ago. He had left straight after college at the age of eighteen and had never looked back. Hardly came back, either, to visit his adoptive parents who lived in the next village along. It was for the best, he knew. They wouldn't want him anyway if they found out the truth.

A mile or so on from the high street, he turned the car through some rusty iron gates and into the long driveway leading up to the house. Bouncing up the drive, he slowed down to avoid the massive potholes.

Despite the huge craters in the narrow lane, Jack couldn't help but feel appreciative of the stunning setting. The driveway was long, bordered on either side by huge fields of long grass and sun-bleached picket fences. He seemed to recall that the front lawn was where the summer fetes had been held.

In the middle of the front lawn stood a huge willow tree, presumably so ancient that the Hall had been named after it all those centuries ago. The willow tree's long boughs of green leaves swayed gently, catching the light of the late afternoon sun as they moved.

Then the house came into view. It was even bigger than Jack could remember. At least it looked well maintained. All the sash windows appeared new, as did the doors, walls and most of the fixtures and fittings. But somehow it had retained its air of aged splendour.

He pulled up the car and turned the key. In the silence that followed the engine being cut, Jack could hear nothing but birdsong and the leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. He had a brief moment of reverie when he remembered the first time that he had been taken to meet his adoptive parents. Having lived in the city for so long, the silence of the countryside had been quite frightening. Or perhaps it was being alone with his own thoughts that he had found the most unsettling.

He got out of the car, pulling on his suit jacket before starting to head towards the large red front door. But before he was anywhere near, it suddenly opened and he was face to face with his past.

'Hi!' said Sam, coming across to shake Jack's hand. 'Good to see you again after all these years.'

Jack had been in the same school year as Sam Harris, who was the grandson of the Earl of Cranley to whom the estate belonged. Sam had been a popular boy at the school, despite becoming more quiet year on year, especially after his parents had been killed in a car crash. His younger brother, Will, had been the more popular boy, with his quick wit and easy charm.

When Jack had rung to make an appointment, Arthur had handed the phone call across to Sam, who had brought him up to speed.

Jack might have remained friends with Sam after school, but he had left the village so quickly after sixth form. Besides, they'd moved in different circles, and Sam's choice of career as a manager for various singers and bands meant that he had been travelling across the world for most of the past decade.

Although most of his artists were good, none had been commercially viable until Tommy King's breakout into global superstardom a few years previously. In addition, his rock band Hazy Memory, despite not having had a hit since their annoying 1970s Christmas single, had also had a resurgence in sales in the past year.

But with the sudden and much needed income from his commission, Sam had unexpectedly withdrawn from the music scene. He still retained a handful of artists to manage, but he had professed himself content with his life in the country.

Apparently, he was now married and living in the stately pile.

'How was your journey?' asked Sam.

'Fine, thanks,' said Jack, taking Sam's hand and giving it a firm grip. 'I'd forgotten how big this place was.'

Sam nodded and glanced back at the Hall. 'Big bills to match, unfortunately,' he said.

Jack understood that Arthur, Sam's grandfather, had suffered with ill health a while previously and Sam had stepped up to take responsibility for the ancestral home, albeit reluctantly at first.

'Come inside and I'll take you through to Grandad's study,' said Sam.

They were just heading towards the front door when the sound of another vehicle bumping its way up the driveway made Sam's steps falter. They turned around to see a taxi pull up. The back door opened and out stepped a very glamorous-looking older lady wearing a huge hat, which caused her some difficulty in getting out of the car.

'Hello, darlings,' cried the woman, heading towards them.

'Hi, Aunty. How was Glyndebourne?' asked Sam.

'Glorious, as ever!' the woman told him. 'But oh so tragic! La Bohème! Such sadness!' She went up on tiptoes to give Sam a kiss on his cheek.

He, in turn, gestured to Jack. 'Aunt Rose, let me introduce Jack Carter. An old school friend who's here for a meeting.'

'How marvellous,' said the woman, giving Jack a once-over that would make anyone blush. 'Is that flashy car yours? How I do like a man with a fast-running motor!'

'Thank you,' said Jack, his mouth twitching into a smile.

Aunt Rose had to be at least seventy years old and was dressed in a very fashionable dress, jacket and matching hat, from which protruded a large feather in the same hot pink colour.

Sam sighed. 'I'd like to say that you get used to my aunt's flirting, but don't assume that you have to.'

'My darling nephew, I do not flirt!' said Rose, with a throaty chuckle. 'I merely stun and disarm.' She placed her arm in Sam's and they headed towards the front door. 'How's your gorgeous wife been whilst I've been away?'

'A bit tired,' said Sam, his smile dropping. 'She's gone to see Megan.'

'Poor Annie,' said Rose, shaking her head. 'She is suffering with this pregnancy. Well, you know what they say. Hard pregnancy, easy baby.'

'Let's hope so,' said Sam. 'My wife's due to have our first child in October,' he added, as an aside to Jack.

'Congratulations,' said Jack automatically.

It wasn't that he had anything against children. But being one that had been thoroughly unwanted since the day he came into the world, he had no plans to become a father any time soon – despite the odd pang that he was missing out on something amazing.

They went through the wide double front door and into an enormous entrance hall.

Jack stared around in wonder. Despite the deep red walls, it was still a light and airy room. A wide, dark oak staircase curved up to the first floor. All along the stairwell were portraits of generations of the Harris family. From the double-heighted ceiling hung a chandelier, glittering in the afternoon sunshine. A large fireplace was waiting to be lit when winter arrived.

Jack became aware of Sam watching his reaction. 'I've been in worse,' he said, with a rueful grin.

Rose gave a chuckle. 'Oh, you're going to be great fun, I can tell! Right. Sherry o'clock, anyone?'

'Jack's here for a business meeting,' said Sam, in a pointed tone.

'I always like to mix business with pleasure,' said Rose, giving Jack a wink before she went across to a large corridor on the right side of the hall.

'Sorry about my aunt,' said Sam. 'She's always on the lookout for husband number five. Anyway, that's the east wing,' he added, pointing at the corridor Rose had disappeared into. 'The kitchen's at the end of the corridor. Would you like a drink? It doesn't have to be sherry.'

'I'm fine, thanks. You have separate wings?' said Jack, his eyebrows raised.

'Who doesn't?' said Sam, with a sarcastic roll of the eyes. 'Come on.'

They walked into the corridor on the opposite side of the entrance hall, which led to the west wing.

'That's the drawing room,' said Sam, as they went past an elegant room in soft shades of green. Jack just had time to register the comfortable-looking sofas and large fireplace.

'And this is the library.'

Jack glanced through the open door and saw a long wall was covered from floor to ceiling with a vast number of bookcases filled with classics. There was also a full-size snooker table, which looked to have been used recently, although one end was propped up with more books.

'All the windows are new in every room,' said Sam. 'And the fireplaces work too, thank goodness. It's so much better now it's no longer draughty. But there's not enough money to do the rest of it.'

Jack noted things were definitely tight for the family and wondered if that might work in his favour when he offered them a substantial amount of money to turn the place into a Thatcher's Hotel. Surely the heating and running costs alone must have been in the thousands?

'At the end of the corridor is our newly renovated ballroom,' said Sam. 'That's my study, which is the old music room. But we're meeting here, in Grandad's study.'

Jack followed Sam into a large room. It was desperate for new plaster and redecoration, but the whole place looked settled in its careworn way, with the dark wood shelves and desk. Many dusty books were piled up, most of them referring to agriculture and estate management.

'Grandad, let me introduce Jack Carter,' announced Sam. 'Jack, this is my grandfather and Earl of Cranley, Arthur Harris.'

Standing up behind the desk was Arthur Harris. He was an older version of his grandson, probably in his mid-seventies. They shared the same strong chin and tall build, although Sam was much broader and more muscular than the fragile-looking earl.

'Welcome to Willow Tree Hall,' said Arthur, in his clipped aristocratic tone. He held out his hand, the other grasping the desk.

'Good to meet you, sir,' said Jack.

'"Arthur" will do just fine,' said the elderly gentleman, gesturing for Jack to sit down on one of the chairs on the other side of the large oak desk. 'We're all on first-name terms here.'

'You have a beautiful place here,' said Jack.

'Thank you. It's certainly looking better than it did a few years ago,' said Arthur. 'But when the foundations are firm, everything else holds steady and any improvements show.'

'So what can we do for you?' asked Sam, sitting down next to Jack. 'As I said on the phone, it's a flattering offer but Willow Tree Hall isn't for sale.'

'I appreciate your honesty,' said Jack. 'But I've been asked to come here personally to offer you and the family a substantial amount of money to take Willow Tree Hall off your hands.'

'And what are the plans for our home if we were to sell?' asked Sam.

'It would be turned into a luxury hotel,' said Jack. 'A retreat in the middle of the countryside.'

Sam looked at his grandad and smiled. 'A luxury hotel, eh? And where do you fit in with all this?'

'I'm just the go-between,' Jack told him. 'However, we have an amazing team of architects who redesign the places. Although, I have to say, your home doesn't need much reconfiguring as it's so beautiful.'

'The problem is what on earth my family would do without Willow Tree Hall to take care of.' said Arthur.

'Retire early and relax,' said Jack. 'I imagine all the bills are pretty high, so you would be mortgage-free and remain well-off for the remainder of your days.'

'The trouble is, this is our home,' said Arthur. 'In fact, it's been my home for seventy-three years, and six generations of Harris family before this. I'm the seventh Earl of Cranley, you see. This isn't just another stately pile.'

'There's also the estate to consider,' added Sam. 'We have all the cottages in Cranley as well, which all have sitting tenants – local families, some of whom are in their third or fourth generations.'

Jack thought about Lily's family. He knew from brief conversations with his parents that they still lived in the village. Annoyed with himself for letting his mind drift, he focused back on the meeting.

'I'm sorry you've had a wasted journey,' said Sam. 'I did want to see you and do you the courtesy of turning you down face to face, for old times' sake.'

'I appreciate your honesty,' said Jack.

Often these negotiations could be protracted and time-consuming. But Sam and Arthur were not likely to change their minds at all, he could see that.

The trouble was that Eric Thatcher wasn't a man who heard the word 'no' very often. If ever. He wouldn't like being turned down by the Harris family.

But Jack would just have to explain to him that they wouldn't budge. Surely there was another stately home somewhere that he could purchase instead?

What was so special about Willow Tree Hall, anyway?

###

Lily's nerves were jangling as she drove up the long driveway to Willow Tree Hall. Thankfully, her grandad had been home for lunch and had accepted her offer of a lift as he didn't drive any more, so she had some company.

'Have you got a busy afternoon?' asked Lily, as she slowed down to avoid a massive pothole.

'Salad leaves need sowing,' said her grandad. 'More mouths to feed than ever at the big house these days.'

Lily stared out of the windscreen as Willow Tree Hall came closer and closer. The huge manor house was a familiar place to her. She had attended many fetes in the past, as well as Annie's wedding. But as she had grown up, it had retained its sense of awe as the imposing centre of their tiny village.

'I'm a little nervous,' she confessed, slowing the car down. 'I mean, I know Arthur's nice, as is the rest of the family, but look at this place!'

'They're just like you and me,' said her grandad. 'Just got bigger walls, that's all.'

Her grandad was unlikely to be intimidated by anyone, Lily had always thought. He had attended the tiny local infant school with Arthur, so had no need to put on airs and graces either.

But Arthur was the Earl of Cranley. He owned Willow Tree Hall and the whole estate, which encompassed the hamlet of Cranley and all the cottages and businesses therein. As far as Lily was concerned, he was also a kind landlord who had given lots of families in need, including her own, a vastly reduced rate of rent each month.

They got out of the car and Lily watched as her grandad wandered around the side of the house towards the walled vegetable garden at the rear of the house. She gulped and then went up to the front door. Could she really work in this amazing place as a housekeeper? She honestly didn't know.

She was somewhat relieved that it was Annie who opened the huge front door.

'You're here! Come in,' she said, with a wide smile.

They went into the entrance hall. Lily had been there for Annie and Sam's wedding the previous December. That had been the first time she had ever been inside the main house, as the summer fetes had always been held on the front lawn when she was younger.

On a cold, winter's night, in the soft glow of candlelight and fairy lights, it had been glittering and magical. On a late summer's day, it was just as magnificent. Despite the deep red walls, it was a light and airy room. From the double-heighted ceiling hung a chandelier, glittering in the afternoon sunshine. A large fireplace was waiting to be lit when winter arrived.

'This is lovely,' said Lily.

'I'm so lucky,' Annie told her, nodding in agreement. 'Come on. We all tend to gather in the kitchen most of the time.'

Lily followed Annie through a corridor off the side of the entrance hall and down a couple of stone steps into the large but welcoming kitchen.

'Wow! You weren't kidding about how great the renovation was,' said Lily, staring around the room in wonder.

Lily tried to imagine how run-down the place must have been, but it was hard to see past the baby-blue cupboards and long oak worktops. In the middle of the room was a large island in matching colours.

Annie gestured for Lily to sit down in one of the comfy chairs that had been placed either side of the large fireplace, near the long oak table.

'The whole place was falling apart but now it's my favourite room,' Annie told her. 'We always end up chatting in here at some stage of the day. Especially now there's so many of us. Tea?'

'Yes, please,' said Lily. She watched Annie head past the table, which was laden with paperwork, and then past the sink, which appeared to be full of mugs.

Annie sighed as she glanced at the crockery. 'I don't know how it gets so messy.'

'There are a lot more people here these days, aren't there?' asked Lily.

'Oh, yes. There's Arthur, of course,' began Annie.

'I hope that's not my name being taken in vain,' said Arthur, appearing at the top of the stairs before beginning to step down gingerly, holding a walking cane in one hand.

A fall a few years previously had slowed him a little, but otherwise he was still full of life despite the air of fragility about his slim frame, encased now in a tweed jacket and old worn trousers.

'How are you, my dear?' said Arthur in his clipped, aristocratic way of speaking as he walked across the kitchen.

Lily leapt up to shake his hand. 'Very well, thank you.'

'And your parents?' Arthur's grey eyebrows crossed into a frown. 'I must pay your father a visit. It's been too long since I last saw him.'

'Thank you. He's OK.' Lily blushed and shrugged her shoulders. 'Well, you know. He's keeping busy.'

Arthur had been wonderful when the terrible car accident had taken place. He had refused to take any rent from the family for the cottage until her father was back home from the hospital. Afterwards, Arthur had kept the rent as low as possible.

'I'm glad to hear it,' said Arthur. 'Please pass on my regards to him and I shall give him a call this week to arrange a suitable time to visit him.'

Annie came over to them both, carrying two mugs of tea. 'There you go,' she said, placing them on the table.

Just then, the back door was flung open and a woman with purple hair came into the kitchen.

Annie smiled. 'See? I told you that everyone's always coming and going,' she said. 'Hi, Skye!'

'Hello,' said Skye, beaming. 'Lovely day out there.'

'Have you met Lily Harper?' said Arthur, doing the introductions. 'She's one of our tenants. The Harper family have been in the village for as long as the Harris family. Lily, please allow me to introduce my granddaughter-in-law Skye Harris.'

'Lovely to meet you,' said Lily as Skye came across to shake her hand.

She had heard that Arthur's youngest grandson, Will, had recently got married, but this was the first time that she had met his bride. Skye's bohemian taste in clothes and purple hair were a stark contrast to the sharply dressed playboy that Lily could remember from having seen Will at a distance.

'Harper? Is Bert the gardener any relation?' asked Skye, frowning in thought.

'He's my grandad,' said Lily.

Skye's eyes widened in recognition. 'Ah! Thought the surname was familiar.'

'I'm less grumpy,' Lily told her, to which Skye laughed.

'I was just going to check on the stables,' said Skye to Arthur. 'Did you want to come with me for your afternoon walk?'

'That sounds lovely, my dear,' said Arthur, smiling.

'What about your meeting?' asked Annie.

'All done,' Arthur told her. 'I left Sam chatting to his old school chum. Seems a very nice chap.'

'Oh!' said Annie, getting up. 'I wanted to meet him as well. Lily, come with me and then you can see Sam. He's probably almost done with his meeting, anyway.'

Without waiting for Lily's answer, Annie headed up the steps so Lily had no choice but to follow her towards the entrance hall. They were just passing the grand staircase when Lily noticed the French doors at the back of the hall open.

She recognised Sam, of course, as he strode in from the grounds at the back. He had been the handsome groom at the wedding the previous December. He was chatting to a man who was hidden behind him.

But it was only as Sam moved to one side that Lily came face to face with her past.

There, in the large, elegant entrance hall of Willow Tree Hall, stood the man who had broken her heart all those years ago. She stood and stared at Jack Carter.

###

Jack stared at the woman in shock. He couldn't believe it was really Lily Harper standing there in front of him.

'Hi,' she was saying, walking over to shake Sam's hand. But she appeared to be in some kind of daze, as she couldn't tear her eyes away from Jack. 'Nice to see you again.'

Jack found he couldn't break eye contact with her either.

He was an idiot. Of course there had been a chance that she would be at Willow Tree Hall of all places. Her parents lived in the village, didn't they? He had wrongly assumed she would have long since left, such had been her desire to break free of the place all those years ago.

How long had it been since he had last seen her? He had been eighteen and was about to leave college. She had been sixteen at the time.

Her hair had changed. Not the gorgeous red colour, of course. But these days it was fixed in a neat ponytail, as opposed to the wild and wavy mane around her shoulders that he remembered. Her face was a little older, but her smooth, pale skin wasn't lined. She was smartly dressed in a pair of skinny trousers and a silk T-shirt.

But when her eyes flashed back at him it was like instantly going back in time. That same vivid green. The deep emerald staring at him. That was the same.

He realised that somebody had spoken.

'Do you two know each other?' asked Sam, looking from one to the other.

'From a long time ago,' said Lily. She broke into a smile but it didn't meet her green eyes. 'It's been a while, Jack. How are you?'

Her words were polite but the tone of her voice was hard. Who could blame her for being upset with him, even after all this time?

'Very well, thank you,' he replied.

He felt Sam and Annie exchange a look. 'Sam, can you just check something for me?' said Annie, dragging her husband away.

Then it was just the two of them standing alone in the entrance hall.

'What are you doing here?' said Lily, when she finally spoke.

'I was having a meeting with Sam and Arthur about the possible future development of the Hall,' Jack told her.

'I see.' But she was frowning as she looked him up and down. 'You're in a suit.'

He glanced down. 'Yeah,' he told her. 'How times change, eh?'

She nodded in thought. 'They really do.'

He supposed that the last time he had seen her he had been wearing his battered leather jacket and jeans. And she would have been wearing that little silver vest top with the lacy straps that he loved seeing her in. Those long legs bare in her tiny denim shorts...

Jack was desperately trying to keep his wits about him. But he was having trouble concentrating on anything as Lily stood in front of him.

It had been so many years, and yet seeing her like this had jolted him right back to his miserable teenage years. She represented all that he hated about himself.

He had tried to push the thought of what he had done to her away, but the guilt still ate away at him each and every day. How she must hate him.

After all, he would always be the man who had promised that they would run away together. Instead, he had left her on the night of her school prom and taken off by himself.

*

Lily was trying very hard to be professional and not let her shock at seeing Jack ruin the job she had come to Willow Tree Hall for.

And yet, here he was after all these years.

She was cross with herself for struggling to think straight. She was definitely angry with Jack for showing up like this. And she was angry with herself for being cross with Jack.

She needed this job. Wanted it, too, she realised. And now Jack of all people was here at Willow Tree Hall!

Why on earth was he back? From what she had heard whenever her mum mentioned bumping into his parents, he never visited Cranley.

What a mess! But she had an interview to get to and, by golly, she was going to get to it.

She fixed a smile on her face. 'Well, I'd better go and see Annie. Nice to see you again.'

She had hoped that he would pick up the hint that she wanted to leave. But he stayed silent and continued to stare at her. She wasn't surprised. He had always been mean and moody. Of course, he was older now. Leaner. Still handsome. She could see the hard muscles of his stomach through his T-shirt and gulped, hating herself and him for having that effect on her more than a decade later.

He cleared his throat as she went to leave. 'So, how are you?'

'Good, thanks,' she replied.

'And your family? They're well?'

'Yes, thanks.' If he was hoping that she would be making this easy for him, he was very much mistaken.

'And your dad is well? Hard at work?'

Lily gave a start. Why on earth would Jack expect her dad to be at work? She shook her head. 'He's, er, mostly at home these days.'

'Took early retirement, eh? Good for him.'

Lily gazed at him, utterly aghast. Something must have shown in her face as the smile on Jack's face began to fade. To her dismay, tears filled her eyes, which caused to her blink furiously as if that would make them disappear.

'You don't know?' she finally managed to say in a thick voice.

Jack shook his head. 'No. What is it?'

'He never went back to work after the car accident,' she said, brushing away the stray tears that had appeared on her cheek.

'Oh, God,' he muttered. 'I had no idea. I'm so sorry.'

'Your parents didn't mention it?'

He looked uncomfortable once more as he shook his head in reply.

They stared at each other for a while in stunned silence until Jack opened his mouth to say something, but Lily shook her head to stop him. She didn't want to hear what he had to tell her.

'Don't bother,' she told him. 'It was a long time ago.' Lily hitched her handbag higher on her shoulder. 'Besides, after the accident it didn't really matter any more. Nothing did, to be honest.'

She was relieved to see Annie and Sam suddenly appear from the nearby corridor.

'I was just saying that I'd better come and find you,' said Lily in an overly bright voice.

Annie raised her eyebrows but merely smiled. 'Yes, I think that cup of tea will be well and truly stewed by now.'

'Nice to see you,' said Lily to Sam. She forced herself to look at Jack. 'You too,' she added, and walked away.

Thankfully, she was leading the way towards the kitchen so that Annie didn't see the tears streaming down her face as she went down the steps.

*

Jack walked back outside through the front door with Sam towards his car. He felt dazed and was still trying to take it all in.

'Nice Mercedes,' said Sam, admiring the company car.

'Thanks,' said Jack. 'And thanks for meeting with me. It's a shame that the offer wasn't any good for you. But it was good to see you again and meet your grandad.'

'Any time you're in the area, pop in and say hi,' said Sam. 'You're always welcome.'

'I will do,' said Jack, getting in the car. 'Thanks.'

He waved his hand as he started up the engine and pulled away back down the driveway.

But he felt so numb as he pulled out of the driveway onto the road that he had to swerve to avoid a car coming in the other direction.

Jack brought the car to a stop at the side of the road. His breathing was still rapid in his chest as he glanced down at himself and the car bonnet. But both were intact. He had missed the other car.

But that wasn't what was making his pulse race. He shook his head. Lily. Wild Lily Harper. After all these years.

Memories flooded back before he could stop them. He could see Lily laughing as she leapt off the bridge into the river below. Pulling on his leather jacket when she became cold late at night and snuggling in closer to him. Crying as he told her that he had never loved her and that she'd be better off without him.

He shouldn't have come back to Cranley. Lily was a ghost from his past that wouldn't let him go.

He stared up at the blue sky and swore to himself. He was an idiot. Why didn't he know that her father had never recovered from the accident? He should have known. Why on earth hadn't his parents told him?

Because you never speak to them, came the reply from deep within. You never talk for more than a few moments. You hardly ever visit them. When would they have the time or the opportunity to let you know?

He hung his head in shame. The fault didn't rest with them. It was his fault alone.

How she must hate him.

Her face had been so white when he had told her that she couldn't run away with him. Standing there in her pretty, long dress, all dressed up for the prom.

And then a short time later there had been an accident and her dad had been severely injured.

Of course Lily hated him. How could she not? But not as much as he already hated himself each and every day.

###

Lily was still trying to keep her emotions under control as she reached the kitchen.

Annie hadn't said anything about her tear-stained cheeks, instead just giving her a sad look.

Lily swallowed hard. She couldn't believe that he was back after all this time.

The shock of seeing Jack Carter was enough to make the job interview fade into second place in her 'things to be most stressed about' list for that day.

After all, he never came home these days, did he? It had been, what, ten years?

Fourteen years, her smug inner voice reminded her.

Annie gestured for Lily to join her at the table.

'Do you want to talk about it?' she asked gently.

'Not much to tell,' said Lily, her voice cracking a little. 'He was the first one to break my heart.' She took a deep breath. 'We almost went to the prom together.'

'Almost?' prompted Annie.

Lily sighed. 'We'd got to know each other that winter.' She allowed herself a small smile. 'I had a huge crush on him, to be honest. He was so cool and handsome. You know, the typical bad boy hanging around the village.'

'Except he went to school with Sam and Will,' added Annie. 'That's a pretty posh school for a bad boy.'

Lily shrugged her shoulders. 'I never quite worked out the deal with that. I don't know why he rebelled against his adoptive parents. Maybe because they were too rich. Anyway, he was only a day pupil so he was around every night and weekend. We met one afternoon down the river and that was it. Or so I thought.'

She had been so bored, so restless with dull village life as a teenager. And then Jack had appeared and it was as if a light bulb had switched on inside her. He would be her future and they would make it an exciting one. At least, that's what she had hoped at the time.

'Did you go on a few dates?' asked Annie.

Lily shook her head. 'We met in secret for around six months. You know how uptight Mum is. She would never have approved of him. Besides, I was getting into trouble at school, so there was so much else going on at the time. But we might have shared a kiss or two.' She blushed at the memory, even now after all these years.

'He was your first love,' said Annie, smiling. 'I get that. Mine was a bad boy as well.'

'Seriously?' Lily was surprised.

'But he turned out to be a total loser.' Annie shrugged her shoulders. 'I thought Jack seemed nice.'

'I thought so too,' said Lily, frowning. 'He was kinder and softer than I first thought. More gentle than he initially appeared. And when he asked if he could be my date for the prom, I jumped at the chance. I had all these visions of walking in with this great guy in his tux. Me in my purple dress. King and Queen of the prom!' She laughed bitterly.

'What happened?' asked Annie.

'He picked me up,' said Lily, relishing the memory. 'And then he met my parents. The whole awkward meet-up thing. He turned up on his motorbike! Can you imagine Mum's face?'

'Oh my God,' said Annie, agog. 'How did you get on the back of the bike in your long dress?'

'With difficulty,' Lily told her, rolling her eyes. 'I wasn't impressed. Moaned a lot on the way. But then he pulled over halfway to the Hall and told me that he'd changed his mind about going out, full stop. That he couldn't take me to the prom after all.'

She gulped at the memory, of how hard his eyes had been as he'd told her that he had never cared for her.

Annie looked confused. 'Why did he bother picking you up if he was going to dump you?'

Lily shook her head. 'I have no idea. I don't know if it was because I was moaning about the bike and my dress. I thought he'd been in a funny mood when he'd picked me up, but figured it was because of meeting my parents. Anyway, I stropped off to the prom on my own. Told him to get lost.'

'That's terrible,' said Annie. 'What did you do? I hope you carried on without him at the prom and had an amazing time.'

'I wish,' said Lily, with a grimace. 'You know what utter bitches sixteen-year-old girls can be. It was my fault. I had told them all about my hot date, and when he didn't show up they thought that I had made it all up. After all, they'd never seen him with me. Nobody had. So I spent the evening being laughed at and ended up going home early in tears.'

'Poor you,' said Annie, shaking her head.

Lily closed her eyes. Her mum had been so cross that she had never told them about her bad-boy date. But her dad had held her close and told her that it would all turn out alright.

But it hadn't.

If only she hadn't made such a big drama out of getting dumped. If only she had picked herself up and not been a bitter, sobbing wreck the whole of the next day. Perhaps then her dad wouldn't have suggested that they all go out for pizza that night as a treat. Then they wouldn't have been on the roads at the same time as that stupid young lad who had stolen a car and gone for a joyride. And then the car accident wouldn't have happened...

She lived with the guilt every second of every day. The harm she had caused her family was so overwhelming that she would never get over it.

Annie reached across the table and squeezed her hand. 'There's something else, isn't there?'

Lily gulped away the tears. 'The car accident happened the day after. You know, the one that injured my dad so badly.'

Annie's eyes widened as she realised. 'Oh no! How awful for you all.'

But it had been a turning point as well. Lily had decided over that wretched, sad, awful summer that her life was not working being left to chance. That fate had had its opportunity and had failed miserably. She had decided there and then that she needed to be in total control in order to stand a chance at happiness in the future.

'So, you need a temporary housekeeper,' she said, trying to look more cheerful. 'I promise I won't break down in tears every day.'

Annie nodded, recognising the obvious change in subject. 'Look, we just need someone to sort everything out. To give us a bit of a hand, really. What do you think? Do you want to help us out? We can pay.' Her face dropped. 'Not an awful lot, unfortunately, because we've used all our money to get the house straight.'

'I just need to know what kind of things we're talking about job-wise,' said Lily. 'I'm good at paperwork.'

'That would be great. I can't seem to keep track of the household stuff. Even the groceries. There's so many of us coming and going. It's hard to keep a handle on it all. Sam pays the household bills but there's so much else involved with running such a massive place. I was completely useless at it.'

'It didn't work out so badly, as it turns out,' said Lily, smiling.

Annie gave her a rueful grin as she rubbed her baby bump. 'No, it didn't. Look, I know it's not very glamorous. Not like those fancy parties you were used to organising.'

Lily thought back to finding Mark with the other woman, but quickly dismissed the thought from her mind.

'Although we do have a few of Sam's bands and singers popping in and out on a weekly basis,' added Annie, waggling her eyebrows.

Lily grinned. 'I remember them from the wedding. It all sounds very glamorous.'

Annie laughed. 'You obviously haven't met Hazy Memory. They're definitely not at all sophisticated.'

'What about the cleaning?' asked Lily.

Annie held up her hand. 'I promise that you won't have to clean anything. Megan's niece has just finished her exams. She's going to help us out as well. If you could supervise her, that would be great. Erm, what else? I know! You're OK with dogs, aren't you?'

Lily looked around. 'Dogs?'

'Well, dog, singular. Eleanor and Tom have got Dylan. He's over most days. Arthur adores him,' she added in a whisper.

'Dogs are fine,' Lily told her, hoping it wouldn't entail too much extra work.

'Well, we know we can trust you because we know your family so well. It will only be Monday to Friday. There may be the very odd weekend, but hopefully not.'

It wasn't as if she had a wild social life at the weekends, thought Lily. She and Mark had tended to head to the supermarket to restock and then they'd watch various box sets on the TV. For a second, she felt the sharp pang of his betrayal before she quickly brushed it aside.

'So, what do you think?' asked Annie, looking hopeful.

Lily was sorely tempted. She needed the money to help out her family.

'Jack was only here for a meeting, wasn't he?' she asked, suddenly fretful about running into him every day.

'Sam hasn't seen him since they were at school,' Annie told her. 'They're not close mates or anything. He was just here for a meeting. You won't have to see him again.'

Lily felt grateful for that. Jack belonged in her past and had stirred up enough pain in her life. She didn't have time to dwell on all of that.

'Look, if you want a break from your mum you could even move in,' said Annie. 'We've got loads of spare bedrooms.'

Lily took a deep breath. 'That might help. The box room is pretty tiny and we've only got one bathroom. I'll see how hysterical Mum gets when I tell her. OK,' she added. 'I'll give you a hand for a while.'

'That's great,' said Annie, looking relieved. 'It's really just going to be a little bit of admin and a small amount of organisation. That's all.'

Lily smiled, but she was going to take it more seriously than that.

She might not be trained in anything but she could organise a place like Willow Tree Hall, couldn't she? After all, she was responsible. Practical. She'd had to be, because ever since her world was shattered at the age of sixteen she had made sure that her adult life was steady and reliable.

Dull, whispered a voice deep inside. She instantly shrugged it off. Safe, she reminded herself. Safe kept her from being hurt.

'Oh, we're going to have such fun,' Annie was telling her, laughing.

Lily was thinking that fun wasn't the priority. She was actually looking forward to sorting out whatever mess lay inside Willow Tree Hall.

But she knew that she was good with lists. She planned her life, didn't she? OK, it hadn't exactly turned out incredibly, but she could organise things and people. At least, she hoped so.

She had handled large events for over a thousand partygoers. How hard could it be to organise one family?

###

Lily told her family about her new job over dinner that evening.

'A housekeeper?' Celia looked stunned as she served up the shredded chicken. 'Up at the big house?'

Willow Tree Hall had always been referred to as the 'big house'. It held both a sense of awe and respect mixed together.

'I thought it would tide me over whilst I look for something else.'

Her mother nodded, knowing that her daughter's income would help. But she still looked confused. 'So you're a cleaner now?'

Lily shook her head. 'Apparently Megan's niece is starting in the next week or so as a sort of maid, I think. So she'll do that kind of thing.'

'A chambermaid,' said her mum.

Lily looked at her, surprised.

'I watched Downton Abbey just like you did,' said her mum in a prim tone.

Lily frowned. 'I don't think it's really like that.'

'They're just normal people,' said her grandad, reaching across the table for a buttered roll. 'Nothing to fret about.'

'Still, a housekeeper role is a huge responsibility,' carried on her mum, looking pleased. 'Like Mrs Hughes. You'll keep the whole place going. Afloat, as it were.'

'Sounds more like the Titanic,' said Lily's dad, with a wink.

'I hope not,' said Lily, feeling a little more nervous now.

She decided to Google the job requirements after dinner and was startled to read up on how much it entailed. Apparently, the main aim of a housekeeper's role was to 'maintain a clean, sanitary, comfortable and tidy environment for a private household'.

Lily made a face as she looked at the screen. Clean? Well, she could ensure that Megan's niece kept it all looking nice. Tidy? She lived for neat and organised, didn't she?

She glanced around the box room. Well, she normally did. Current circumstances didn't help, as everything had to be squeezed into one tiny room. She hadn't mentioned the possibility of sleeping at Willow Tree Hall yet. She would see how the first few days went. But the thought of a normal-sized bedroom and an en suite was tempting.

The other jobs that the housekeeper role entailed interested her more. She needed to ensure that groceries and household supplies were maintained to adequate levels. Fireplaces needed to be lit. But seeing as it was August, and summer was still going strong, that could be ignored.

To plan and cook meals for her employer? That made her sit up straighter in a slight panic. She had many gifts but cooking wasn't one of them. But Annie hadn't mentioned cooking, so that was fine.

Anyway, she was certain that she could totally handle it. After all, she had checklists. She would be fine.

She turned up the following day at nine o'clock sharp in the morning. She waited outside the front door for about five minutes until a blond man appeared from around the side of the building, carrying an empty coffee mug.

'Hey. You must be Lily,' he said, by way of welcome. 'I'm Will.'

'Hi,' she said, shaking his hand.

Will was a slimmer, blonder version of his elder brother, Sam.

'You can just go on in, if you dare,' he told her.

'I would, but it's locked,' said Lily.

'Nobody's used it yet probably. It's still early. You'd better come around to the back door, then,' said Will. 'That's the one everyone uses, anyway.'

Lily followed Will into the kitchen, where she found what appeared to be most of the family. In fact, she could hear them all before she saw them, such was the crescendo of noise that was created.

'Will!' called out Sam from the head of the long kitchen table. 'Settle this argument once and for all, would you? I caught a fourteen-pound carp in the river when we were younger, didn't I?'

Will laughed. 'I think you've added ten pounds too many to that estimate, bro.' He picked up the kettle and, finding it empty, went to the sink to refill it. 'By the way, I found our new housekeeper if anybody wants to say hi.'

A chorus of welcome bubbled up from the table.

'Welcome,' said Sam, jumping up to shake Lily's hand. 'I didn't get a chance to say hello properly yesterday.' He looked along the table. 'So, do you know everyone?'

'More or less,' said Lily, blushing at being the centre of attention.

'That's the senior end,' said Sam, nodding at the other end where Arthur and Rose sat.

'I'm not sure I relish being referred to as "senior",' said Rose, making a face. 'Darling, I'm middle-aged at best.'

'At seventy?' murmured Arthur, getting up.

'My dear brother, it's sixty-five and you know it,' said Rose, with a smirk.

'Welcome to Willow Tree Hall,' said Arthur, smiling as he turned to face Lily. 'You'll find us quite a noisy bunch to contend with.'

'That's fine,' Lily told him softly.

'Sweetheart,' said Rose, leaping up to hug Lily. 'It's been too long. I'd forgotten how beautiful your red hair is. Do you think I could get away with that colour?'

'Well, I don't see why not if you're only middle-aged,' said Arthur pointedly.

Rose held up a heavily bejewelled hand. 'Darling, you know I knock off a couple of years for luck. It's not good for my sex life, otherwise.'

A groan went up around the table.

'Moving on,' said Sam, in a loud tone above the hubbub.

'As quickly as possible, please,' added Will, coming over to the table with a mug of coffee.

'Quite,' said Sam. 'This is my younger brother, Will, and his far lovelier wife, Skye.'

'We met yesterday. Hi,' said Skye, looking up from her phone. 'I'm so glad you took the job.'

'Do you know Eleanor?' continued Sam. 'She works at the stable block in one of the workshops.'

'I think "work" is being a bit optimistic,' said the good-looking man sitting next to Eleanor.

'Watch it, buster,' said Eleanor, giving him a nudge with her elbow before smiling up at Lily. 'Hi. You were in the year below us at school, weren't you?'

Lily nodded. 'Yes. I've heard that your business is doing so well.'

Eleanor had begun Eleanor's Apothecary, creating homemade creams and soaps and, according to local gossip, it was going from strength to strength.

'Thanks,' said Eleanor. She glanced at the familiar-looking man next to her. 'This is Tom. You might know him as global superstar Tommy King, but to us he's just the carpenter.'

'Hi,' said Tom, with a shy nod.

Lily smiled in reply trying not to look goggle-eyed at the famous singer.

'Unfortunately for us,' said Will, sitting down opposite them. 'I'm desperate for an electrician and all you know is wood.'

'And a few songs as well,' added Sam. 'Tom's been taking a year off away from the limelight.'

'And I've spent all of it helping Will do up one of the old barns,' said Tom.

Will shrugged his shoulders. 'I'd have hired someone to do it instead, but your charges are much more reasonable.'

'I'm doing it for free!' said Tom.

'Exactly,' said Will, grinning.

'Who have I left out?' asked Sam, frowning.

'Just me,' said Annie, appearing at the bottom of the stairs.

'How can you forget someone that fat?' said Will, who promptly received a clip around the ear from his big brother.

'She's not fat,' said Sam. 'She's beautiful.'

'Apart from my ankles,' said Annie, sitting down and putting her feet up on the bench. 'They're most definitely fat.' She looked up at Lily. 'Give me five minutes to recover from the walk downstairs and I'll give you the tour.'

Lily had found the family warm and welcoming. Surely it would be a piece of cake to organise them all?

True to her word, Annie led Lily across the large entrance hall a few minutes later to show her around the house.

'This is the west wing,' began Annie, as they walked through a large doorway on the opposite side of the hall. 'Here's the drawing room.'

It was a large, elegant room painted in soft green, with oak floorboards, comfy-looking sofas and chairs. The large sash windows overlooked the front grounds. There were framed photographs, antique ornaments and candlesticks everywhere. It felt homely, warm and welcoming.

'Isn't it nice?' said Annie. 'We tend to all end up in here or the kitchen most evenings, apart from when the weather's warm like at the minute and then we'll be on the patio.'

They walked back into the corridor and into the next room, which was the library.

A long wall was covered from floor to ceiling with a vast number of bookcases filled with classics. There was also a full-size snooker table, which looked to have been used recently, although one end was propped up with more books.

'This room's not been renovated yet?' asked Lily, nodding at the cracked plaster and haphazard oak floorboards.

Annie shook her head. 'We ran out of money. Besides, everyone seems to quite like it like this. But all the windows are new so it's not so draughty. And the fireplaces were all swept last winter.'

On the opposite side of the corridor was Arthur's study, which was also a little threadbare but had a lovely view over the grounds at the back of the house.

Sam's office was next door, which apparently was the old music room.

'Very apt,' said Lily, noting all the piles of records and CDs amongst the paperwork.

'He still manages a few bands and singers,' Annie told her. 'But he's taking on more and more of the estate work as Arthur gets that little bit older.'

'What about Will?' asked Lily. 'I thought he worked abroad?'

Annie shook her head. 'Not any more. He and Skye live in a lovely cottage in the grounds and Will is the estate manager. He's currently doing up one of the barns to hire out for weddings.' Annie sighed. 'We're always looking for more ways to try and keep out of the red.'

They walked to the room at the end of the corridor and through the double doors.

'You might remember this from our wedding reception,' said Annie, smiling in memory.

'It's such a beautiful room,' said Lily, looking around in wonder. The gilt-edged paintings that decorated the room filled the place with colour, and the touches of gold on the frames made the whole place shine.

'Most of it was thanks to Skye,' said Annie. 'She's so artistic, whereas I can't even hold a paint roller. She designed most of the wedding decorations as well. Now she uses one of the workshops to restore ugly pieces of furniture into things of beauty. You'll have to go and have a look. It's amazing what she does with it all.'

Lily thought how wonderful it would be to have a skill like that. She only knew how to organise things. But hopefully that would stand her in good stead when it came to starting her new housekeeper role.

As they continued their tour downstairs, Lily became more and more excited. To work in such an amazing space every day would be incredible.

Despite her nerves at the unknown, she was ready for a little bit of excitement in her life, she realised. Life had been such a struggle for so many years. Ever since the accident, in fact.

Perhaps she deserved to enjoy the next few weeks at Willow Tree Hall. To finish the summer in the countryside, which she loved so much and had missed whilst she was in London.

With that happy thought, she began to plan all her to-do lists.

###

When Jack stepped out of the shower, he found that he had missed a call from his adoptive mother.

He thought it was rather coincidental timing on her part, considering that he had been at Willow Tree Hall the previous day. In fact, it was very rare for him to be at home for more than one night at a time.

He stared at the screen for a beat before finally deciding to return the call.

'Hi,' he said, when she picked up the phone.

'Hello, love,' came the quick reply. 'How are you?'

As always, her voice sounded strained. As if she were on edge. But he knew that he had made her that way. That he was the cause of the tension.

'Fine,' he replied, walking out onto the balcony of his bedroom and relishing the heat of the sun on his wet skin.

'Good, good.'

He took a deep breath of sweet country air. 'Actually, I'm at home for once.'

Home. Even then it sounded strange to say it out loud. Having craved security for so long, the first thing he had done when he had earned enough money was to build his very own house.

He still didn't know why he had been tempted back to buy a plot of land only a few miles from his parents' village, but he'd found himself unable to resist the sweeping view that came with it.

It was private and secluded in the middle of the countryside, and, thanks to the sheer amount of money he had earned so far in his job, the three acres of land had also come with a riverside setting.

All the living spaces had been designed by Jack to take full advantage of the exceptional position on the banks of the River Ley. The huge master bedroom was no exception, and Jack was able to stare down at the glittering ripples of water on the river whilst he maintained his telephone conversation.

His mother carried on chatting nervously. 'Isn't it a lovely evening?' There was a pause on the line. 'I didn't know you were relaxing at home for once. I wouldn't have interrupted you otherwise.'

'It's not a problem,' Jack told her. 'Is everything OK?'

'I should have sent you a text,' she said, still sounding nervous. 'It's really not important. I just wondered whether you were free in a couple of weeks' time. Just a birthday thing for your dad. Only us.' Another long pause. 'It would be nice to see you.'

'What's the date?' he asked, making a mental note to add it to his diary. 'I'll see what I can do.'

'Great!' The tension made her voice over-exuberant as she gave him the date.

'Well, I'd better head off,' he told her afterwards.

'Yes, yes, of course. I understand. I won't keep you. I'm sure your dinner's ready. Your father's watching the cricket on the TV.'

'Send him my, er, regards,' said Jack, his voice cracking slightly.

'Of course! Well, take care, love.'

'You too,' he replied.

He hung up and sighed. Despite the lovely summer's evening and beautiful view of the river and countryside, he felt extremely irritated. But it was only with himself.

Joan and Peter Carter had done nothing to earn the cold treatment that they endured from their adopted son. All they had done was give him a loving home and the stability that he had craved for so long.

But he had repaid them, hadn't he? He'd done the very best with the private education that they had been able to give him. He had studied hard and now he was a rich man.

He knew that they were proud of him. They had told him so on the rare occasions that he had travelled home to visit them.

But would he ever be able to break down that barrier between them? The barrier that he had built up from the age of twelve, when they first met? He thought it highly doubtful.

Jack wandered back inside and changed into shorts and a T-shirt before heading down to the lounge. He poured himself a large glass of whiskey. It was a specialist, expensive brand that he'd had to hunt high and low for. But it tasted just right.

He took a large gulp before staring around the room. It was a huge lounge, modern and luxurious in the fixtures and fittings.

The view of the river, of course, was sensational.

Jack smiled and took a sip of his drink. He had won at life, that was for sure.

Having been given the worst possible start in life, he had been passed from family to family in the endless foster system. Nobody had wanted him. He had been a difficult child full of pain and anger.

Eventually, by some miracle, a nice, older couple had given him a permanent home. But nothing was permanent. Not for Jack. Perhaps they still regretted letting him into their lives. He was sure they did. The three of them didn't belong together. Maybe they didn't really want him after all.

What they had given him, though, was a decent education. That, along with his own self-reliance, had given him the starting point to the success he was enjoying. He had done all this on his own merits. He didn't need anyone alongside him to help.

He was now richer than he had ever imagined. He would never know hunger or be homeless again.

He looked down at the parched ground on the opposite side of the wide river, where a family was walking their dog along the tow path.

Some things just weren't meant to be. He would never have a family of his own. Would never love anyone with that all-encompassing happiness. It just wasn't in his DNA.

For some reason, he thought of Willow Tree Hall. His mind had been straying there ever since he had met with Sam. Everything had changed for Sam and Will. Both brothers were happily married, settled and content.

He felt a pang of envy. He didn't know why. That wasn't what he craved. He had his security, his money. What did he need anyone else in his life for? He never worried about that kind of stuff. He must just be tired.

He thought again about Lily. She had been on his mind as well, ever since he had bumped into her at the Hall. But she wasn't the wild, exuberant teenager he had known any more. He grunted in grim humour at how the passing years had turned her almost into as much of a closed book as he was.

The chances were that he wouldn't see her again. The business proposal had been turned down and that was that – though Eric didn't seem to think so.

Jack had met with Eric that morning, feeling something akin to trepidation. His boss wasn't a man used to being turned down, and yet that was exactly what the Harris family had done.

He had remained silent as Eric read his report, a frown appearing on his forehead.

Finally, he'd pushed the papers to one side of his desk. 'Well, that delays our plans, but hopefully only for a short while.'

Jack had felt confused. 'You realise that the family will not budge. Willow Tree Hall isn't for sale.'

'Everyone has their price.'

The words hung in the air but Eric didn't give any further information.

He'd used dubious methods in the past to get the land and properties that he desired, but the Harris family wouldn't sell. Jack was certain of that.

So why was he so worried about Willow Tree Hall? And why did he find himself feeling a slight shiver despite the heat of the evening sun?

###

Having spent most of her first day touring the ground floor of Willow Tree Hall and gossiping with Annie and Rose, Lily was determined to get a better grip on her new job when she returned the following day.

As she was yet to see the bedrooms, Annie took Lily up the huge sweeping staircase in the entrance hall. The deep red wall showed off the large paintings of the previous earls and their families that lined their progress.

'It's such a beautiful room,' said Lily, both admiring the huge crystal chandelier sparkling above them and wondering how on earth it could be cleaned. She made a swift note on her phone to find out.

'Isn't it?' said Annie, smiling. 'It's so hard to even remember how awful it was before we started to renovate the place.'

'Was it that bad?' asked Lily.

Annie's smile dropped. 'Terrible. We nearly lost the whole place, but thankfully it was saved. Now I can't imagine living anywhere else.'

At the top of the stairs, there was a beamed gallery that overlooked the entrance hall below.

'That's the west wing bedrooms,' said Annie, heading towards the corridor. 'Rose's and Arthur's bedroom suites are down here, so I'll show you theirs first.'

'How many bedrooms are there?' asked Lily.

'Ten,' Annie told her. 'There's three bathrooms this way, two en suite. And another three bathrooms in the east wing.'

'That's a lot of sinks to wipe down,' said Lily, thinking of how much work there was to be done as she typed the numbers into her phone.

Annie looked sheepish. 'Yeah, that's probably why they haven't been done as regularly as they should be.'

Lily held up her hand. 'It's fine. Don't fret. I'll get it all in hand.'

Or, at least, the new maid would when she started the following week, she thought to herself.

Annie's shoulders sank back down as she relaxed. 'I can't tell you how grateful I am that you're giving us a hand around here.'

They walked into the large bedroom at the far end of the corridor. 'This is Arthur's master bedroom.'

It was an elegant room in pale creams and taupe, entirely suitable for a distinguished gentleman like Arthur. A large bed sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by older pieces of furniture in dark oak.

Lily noted the en suite bathroom on the far side of the room.

'He's got a walk-in power shower,' said Annie. 'I think he secretly loves it.'

They moved on to the large bedroom next to Arthur's.

'This is Rose's boudoir,' said Annie, showing Lily inside.

It was a proper lady's bedroom, with luxurious carpets and decadent trimmings such as silver candlesticks and ornate mirrors.

'Those three huge wardrobes house Rose's vast clothes collection,' Annie told her. 'Honestly, it's unbelievable the amount of clothes that she's got. All of them are designer from places like Chanel and Dior, left over from her days when she was in the fashion industry.'

Lily made another note to herself regarding how to launder such items.

'Who did your decorating?' she asked, reaching out to stroke a soft pink fluffy throw on the huge white four-poster bed. 'It suits both Arthur's and Rose's personalities so well.'

'Sam's best friend, Alex, is an interior designer. He's a real friend of the family these days. You'll love him. He's a bit OTT, but once you get to know him you realise that there's a tender heart underneath his bitchy exterior.'

Lily was surprised. 'He doesn't sound like someone Sam would be that close to.'

'I know,' said Annie, smiling. 'But he and Will went to school with Alex and they're as thick as thieves.'

For a brief moment, Lily wondered whether Jack knew Alex as well. After all, he had gone to the same school as the Harris brothers. But then she told herself off for even thinking about him and tried to concentrate on what Annie was saying.

'Honestly, between him and Hazy Memory they're a right handful, but I love having them here.'

'Hazy Memory the band?' asked Lily. 'Oh, they were at your wedding!'

Annie nodded. 'That's right. The one with that awful Christmas song that they always play. Sam's their manager.'

'Didn't they have a new record out last year?' said Lily.

'They're back in fashion again and loving it!' said Annie. 'They're always coming down to visit. In fact, I think they're due to appear next week or the week after. I can't remember.'

Lily made another note to get a house calendar up and running so that everything would be prepared.

'And they stay here?' she asked.

'I'll show you the guest bedrooms,' said Annie, moving off once more. 'I had this great idea that they should each be individually decorated and then we can refer to their colour rather than bedroom one, two, etc. So this is the green room.'

It was a beautifully appointed guest bedroom, like something from a luxury hotel. Decorated in mainly soft creams and whites, the hints of green were easy to find.

Each guest bedroom, in turn, had touches of blue, yellow and the remaining colours of the rainbow. But all the rooms, whilst defined by their individual colours, were elegant and yet cosy at the same time.

At the far end of the east wing was Sam and Annie's bedroom: another lovely room with thick, soft blue carpets and hints of silver everywhere.

The many bathrooms had either a walk-in shower, standalone bath, or both, and were equally and luxuriously well-appointed. Lily had expected Victorian plumbing, but they were more in keeping with an expensive London hotel.

She picked up a soap from the dish and took an appreciative sniff. 'This is lovely. Is it from Eleanor's workshop?'

Annie beamed with pride. 'Oh, yes. We wouldn't stock anything else! She's done so well with her business. I'm so pleased for her.'

As they walked back to the gallery landing overlooking the entrance hall, Lily typed yet more details into her phone, thinking that the list was already getting quite long.

By the time she had finished, she realised that Annie was looking out of the large sash window at the back of the landing. Lily joined her and saw that the window overlooked the grounds at the back.

They both looked down into the walled garden, where Lily saw her grandad digging in the large vegetable plot, which was packed with every conceivable type of vegetable to feed the ever-expanding Harris family.

'Bert works so hard,' said Annie. 'I don't know how he keeps going at his age.'

'I honestly don't know what he would do if he didn't work here,' said Lily. 'He's spent his whole life working at the Hall.'

But she noticed that, beyond the vegetable plot, the remainder of the garden was terribly overgrown. The huge lawn was long and hadn't seen a mower for a very long time.

'How far back do the grounds go?' she asked.

'Way beyond those trees,' Annie told her. 'There's even an ancient apple orchard all the way back there. The river is the boundary on the other side.'

Lily had enjoyed playing in the woods when she was younger. In fact, she had always been outside growing up. But, once she had moved to London, she had left all that behind.

She looked again at the vast space and wondered whether the huge grounds were beginning to be too much work for her grandad.

'Did you want to see outside?' asked Annie.

'Is there anything out there that I need to be aware of?' said Lily.

Annie shook her head. 'Not really. Will's the estate manager, so he deals with all of that as well as all the cottages and the stable block. Now he's trying to do up one of the barns as well. I'm not sure how much time he's got, though.'

Everyone appeared to be overworked, thought Lily. But that didn't bother her. She had spent her whole adult life racing through lists and on to the next ones. Hard work kept her sane.

They returned to the kitchen. Lily had not been able to study it earlier due to the gathering of people in it, but now that the room was empty she could appreciate the vast amount of cupboard doors that had been painted baby-blue and the long oak worktops. In the middle was a large island in matching colours.

When Annie wandered off to find Sam a little later, Lily took advantage of being alone in the huge but welcoming kitchen. She sat down at the oak table and made more notes on her phone. She began to type up rough schedules for the various chores. She would probably need a map of each room as well, until she could learn it all off by heart.

The first thing she needed to get organised was the cleaning schedule. Megan's niece would apparently be starting work the following week, so that would be a good place to begin. Lily quickly typed up what needed cleaning, washing, stock-refilling. The lists were looking quite long, but it didn't bother her.

She had noticed that, despite everything appearing brand new, the skirting boards were dusty, as were most of the table tops. All the smooth plaster and wood everywhere meant that any lack of housekeeping was highlighted tenfold amongst the perfect edges.

But that would be fine. Dusting and cleaning she and the maid could handle. Yes, the rooms were large but it was nothing that she couldn't deal with.

Despite a few jangling nerves, Lily broke into a wide smile as she looked up from the long list on her phone. Oh, yes. This was going to be such an easy job!

She couldn't wait to get started.

###

The following morning, Lily went downstairs, dumping a pile of folders at one end of the kitchen table.

'What's all this?' asked her mum.

'Just my organisation for the house,' Lily told her. 'I had some left over from my last job.'

Her mother raised her eyebrows. 'Won't they have all this stuff already sorted?'

'I doubt it,' said Lily, shaking her head. 'It was all a bit haphazard with everyone being so busy and all.'

'Well, I suppose you're used to organising lots of things,' said her mum, pouring out a cup of tea. 'They'll be grateful to have you.'

Lily allowed herself a small smile of pride at her mum's words. Her parents had been so thrilled when she had moved from the small printing office where she had worked as a receptionist after college to a new semi-managerial job at the events management company. The truth was that she had never felt entirely comfortable with the responsibility of the new role and had worked excessively long hours in order to compensate for her own perceived inadequacies.

It didn't matter that she was always late home. She rented a room in a large house and nobody cared whether she missed dinner or not. After all, it wasn't as if she had a pair of warm, loving arms to wrap herself in at the end of each day. Until Mark came along.

She thought briefly of Mark, her only serious boyfriend over the years. The word 'robot' materialised in her head, but she quickly dismissed it from her thoughts.

What was wrong with having a life plan, anyway? Being organised? Mark knew why she had been like that, but even so he had thrown the whole lot into her face.

She stuffed a piece of toast into her mouth, suddenly angry with herself for even thinking about him.

'By the way,' said Lily, glancing over at her dad, who was at the table, 'When I saw Arthur he mentioned that he's going to pop in and say hi at some point.'

Her dad nodded. 'That's very kind of him. I'm sure he's still got a lot on his plate, trying to get the place up to scratch.'

'How was the big house looking?' asked her mum.

'Lovely,' said Lily. 'I know we only really saw the entrance hall and the ballroom at the wedding, but you should see the drawing room, Mum. It's all so elegant.'

'It cost enough money to do up,' said her grandad, with a grunt.

'They're still struggling from what I hear,' said her mum, in a pointed tone.

Lily knew that, thanks to Sam and Annie's efforts, it was now structurally safe and redecorated in most of the rooms, but the whole estate was still running as a loss-making business.

'I understand that, despite the farmers' markets at the stable block, the recording studio and Will trying to do up the barn to hire out for weddings, things are still pretty tight,' said her mum.

'Recording studio,' said her grandad, with another grunt. 'Rock stars and singers all over the place.'

Lily and her mum grinned at each other. They had seen Sam's biggest band, Hazy Memory, who were a bunch of leather-clad old rockers, from afar at the wedding. But at least she had now met Tommy King.

'I did bump into another old friend up at the hall, though,' said Lily, clearing her throat. 'It was Jack Carter.'

Her mum's eyebrows went up. 'Really? Well, I'm sure Joan and Peter will be very pleased to have him passing through. They hardly see him these days, Joan told me last time I bumped into them at the supermarket.'

Lily concentrated on buttering another piece of toast until she couldn't bear the X-ray vision of her mum staring at the top of her head any longer. She looked up at her mum.

'How is he?' asked her mum, in an extra-polite tone of voice.

'Fine. He looked fine.' Better than fine, she thought, with a shiver. 'He asked after you all.'

She wouldn't tell them that he hadn't any idea about how long her dad had now been out of work. It was just too awful to bring up. As usual, she needed to be the strong one.

She thought of Jack once more. He had let her down so badly. After all, he had run away just when she had needed him the most. Worst of all, he hadn't taken her with him.

Despite the lingering pain of her past, she felt excited at the thought of working at Willow Tree Hall.

*

'Slow down, girl,' muttered her grandad, hanging on to the passenger seat as she sped the Mini around the corner. 'The Hall isn't going anywhere.'

Lily eased off the accelerator as they turned into the long driveway. Once she had parked the car, she wondered whether she should go straight to the back door.

She was still debating when, thankfully, Arthur came around the corner. She noticed that he still had a slight limp after his accident a few years previously, and that he used a walking stick these days.

'Good morning,' he called out, with a warm smile. 'Isn't it a beautiful day?'

'Good morning. Yes, it is.'

The truth was that she had barely registered the sunshine, such had been her haste to get on with her first proper day of work.

'Morning. We could do with some rain,' said her grandad, with a grimace. 'Or else we'll have to get the hose out again to water all those vegetables.'

'Ah, yes,' said Arthur, nodding in a more serious fashion. 'Let us take a stroll and see how the cucumbers are looking.'

As he turned away, Lily thought she caught the slightest of winks from Arthur.

'Go on through, my dear,' he told her, over his shoulder. 'Annie was in the drawing room the last time I saw her.'

So, Lily opened up the grand front door and stepped inside.

Instantly, she realised that the cool entrance hall was a perfect foil to the heat of the sun outside.

'Hello!' she called out, heading across the oak floorboards towards the east wing. Thankfully, she had already memorised the layout of the huge house, though she did have a back-up hand-drawn map just in case.

She went into the drawing room and found Annie with her feet up on the sofa.

'Good morning,' she said.

'Morning,' said Annie, stifling a yawn. 'Sorry, I'm all over the place this morning. I had a dreadful night's sleep thanks to this one.' She rubbed her baby bump. 'I think he or she is going to be a footballer.'

'Can I get you anything?' asked Lily.

Annie shook her head. 'No, thanks. And it should be me asking you that, as it's your first proper day of work.'

'That's what I'm here for,' said Lily, sitting down on one of the armchairs.

'What's all that?' asked Annie, looking at the pile of folders that Lily had just placed on the coffee table.

'Organisation,' said Lily, feeling proud. 'Each part of the job has been given its own folder. So there's one for cleaning, one for administration, one for the kitchen, one for the guest bedrooms. I've also got a diary to sort out all your appointments.'

'Crikey,' said Annie, her eyes widening. 'Well, we probably do need a little bit of organising.'

'I thought we could start with staff responsibilities first and take it from there,' said Lily, in a brisk tone. She picked up the first file and clicked her pen into life. 'So, the cleaner begins when?'

Annie thought for a moment. 'I'll ask Megan, but I think it's on Monday.'

'How about I ask Megan for you?' said Lily, making a note to send a text.

'I'll be seeing her at some point as she tends to spend Fridays at Eleanor's apothecary workshop,' Annie told her.

'Fine. I'll head over there in a while,' said Lily.

'I really don't mind,' said Annie quickly.

But Lily smiled and shook her head. 'You just rest. Let me take the strain. So, what about the laundry?'

Annie grimaced. 'Everyone sort of chucks their own into the machine, to be honest. Well, not Arthur, of course. I do his. Rose seems happy to do her own.'

'I can handle it,' said Lily.

'A lot of Rose's clothes are designer,' said Annie, frowning. 'They either need dry cleaning or a special wash.'

'No worries,' said Lily. 'So that's the cleaning and laundry. What about food shopping?'

Annie looked nonplussed. 'I just head down to the supermarket whenever we run out.'

'Well, that won't do,' said Lily, making another note. 'I'll need you to make a list of all the essentials, as well as your menu plan for the week.'

'Menu plan?'

'You know, what's for dinner tonight, tomorrow, etc.,' said Lily.

Annie's eyes widened. 'Oh. OK. I'll try and give it some thought.'

'Excellent,' said Lily, feeling pleased. This was going to be far easier than she had originally thought. 'Whilst I think of it, I'll need a list of everyone's allergies and dislikes. Oh, and any medications as well, so that the prescriptions are always available.' She then pulled out the desk diary that she had brought. 'Right. Next job is to fill in any guests or appointments that you think might impact me in some way. For example, if anyone is coming to stay and we'll need extra food. Or window cleaners, chimney sweeps, that kind of thing.'

'Right,' said Annie in a faint voice. 'Everyone seems to just muddle through, to be honest. Luckily, there's always someone around if anyone pops in.'

'It'll be good to get a bit more organised though, won't it?' said Lily. 'I'm sure it'll take the stress off you. After all, that's my job.' She stood up, smiling down at Annie. 'OK. You get on with that list of food and I'll go and check with Megan.'

'OK,' said Annie. But she was still wearing a small frown.

Unfortunately, the stable workshop of Eleanor's Apothecary was closed up. Lily had a brief look around but couldn't see anyone.

As she made her way back to the house, she spotted her grandad heading into his shed on the boundary of the walled garden. She had yet to see inside the wooden hut. It was pretty large, and she wondered what on earth he kept inside. She walked across to see him.

'Hi, Grandad,' she called out as she drew nearer.

He gave a start at the sound of her voice and quickly turned around, still holding on to the handle of the door.

'I thought I'd come and see where you work,' she said.

'Too busy to chatter,' he told her, his voice more gruff than usual.

'Oh. OK. Do you need anything?' she asked, trying to peer around the door, which was open just a fraction.

'Just to be left alone to get on with my job,' he snapped, closing the door swiftly behind him. 'Don't you go poking around in my shed, girl,' he added. 'That's private.'

'You make it sound like a mystery,' said Lily, laughing.

'Just gardening stuff,' he told her. 'None of your business.'

He sounded so gruff and annoyed that Lily almost had the impression that he was hiding something in there.

But her grandad could be crotchety sometimes. It was obviously just one of those days. So she left him to his shed and returned to the drawing room, where she found Annie and Rose chatting away.

'Good morning,' said Lily to Rose.

'Hello, darling,' said Rose, with a large smile. 'I was just telling Annie all about my delicious date last night. Let's just say that I've done the walk of shame this morning.' She gave a throaty chuckle as Lily realised what Rose was getting at.

It seemed that even a seventy-something-year-old had a better love life than she did.

Annie was merely shaking her head and laughing.

Lily remained standing as she asked Annie, 'Have you managed to finish that food list yet?'

Annie shook her head. 'No. Sorry.' She looked sheepish.

'It's all my fault,' said Rose, grinning. 'I'm such a distraction. Or at least that's what my lovers always tell me.'

'Was he really blond all over?' asked Annie, still agog.

'Platinum!' gurgled Rose, laughing.

Lily tried not to roll her eyes. There were things that needed to be done before the gossiping could resume.

'Can you get the food list to me by the end of the day?' asked Lily. 'Is that OK? Then I can start to get things straight.'

'Of course,' said Annie.

'Do I get homework as well?' asked Rose, with a wink.

Lily smiled and wondered whether perhaps she had come on a bit too strong with Annie. But hopefully not. She just needed to tick some things off today's to-do list so she could really get going. After all, didn't they want to get organised?

###

By lunchtime, Lily had realised that the kitchen was the hub of the house. Yes, Willow Tree Hall had an elegant drawing room, an amazing ballroom and many other rooms, but the kitchen was where it all happened. Everyone was always popping in for a coffee or tea. Snatching biscuits from the tin. Coming and going. Chatting and gossiping.

So that was where she decided to concentrate her organisation efforts to begin with. First on her list was to sort the cupboards. Although they were beautiful, she found the layout for everything very confusing. In one cupboard there was food. The next held cleaning stuff. Then there were baking tins. Then more food. Then loo rolls. It didn't make any sense.

So, she spent a very happy couple of hours rearranging everything whilst it was quiet.

'What's all this?' asked Sam, when he walked through the room in the middle of the afternoon.

The kitchen worktops were groaning under the weight of everything having been brought out of the cupboards.

'I'm just having a little sort-out,' Lily told him, as she wiped down a shelf. 'Can I help you with anything?'

He shook his head quickly. 'Nothing important that can't wait.'

He went across to the corner and reached out his hand before looking nonplussed. 'Er, where's the kettle?'

'Oh, that's going to be over here now,' said Lily, pointing at the nearest worktop. 'It makes far more sense for it to be on this side of the kitchen.'

'Right. Great!' Sam fixed on a smile.

Encouraged, Lily carried on, and by teatime she was pleased with her efforts.

'So, all the food is above this worktop,' she explained to Annie, who was looking a little confused. 'The cleaning stuff is all together on that side of the room.'

'And the saucepans?'

'Over there, next to the oven.'

'OK.' Annie was frowning.

'Is everything ok?' asked Lily quickly. 'Have I done something wrong?'

Annie shook her head. 'Not at all,' she said in a bright tone of voice. 'Any ideas where the big crock pot has gone? I thought I'd do chilli con carne for dinner.'

'It's on that lower shelf,' Lily told her. 'With the soup maker and other electrical items.'

She was satisfied with her work. After all, it made far more sense.

'Where have the plates gone?' asked Skye, a little while later, opening and closing various cupboard doors.

'Over by the microwave,' Lily told her.

Will wandered in through the back door. 'I'm starving,' he announced, walking across the kitchen. 'Renovating barns is hard work.'

'How's it coming along?' asked Annie.

Will made a face as he opened and closed various cupboard doors. 'It'll be fine if our bride and groom want a nice candlelit reception. If they want electricity that could be a problem.'

'So if they want music and speakers?' asked Annie.

Will blew out a sigh. 'They can always borrow Tom's guitar and go acoustic. OK. I give up. Where are the biscuits?'

'I can't remember,' said Annie.

'Is this what they call baby brain?' asked Will, raising an eyebrow.

'No, it's me,' said Lily, with a smile. 'I've been reorganising the cupboards. The biscuits are here.'

She opened up the right cupboard and showed him inside.

Will lifted the biscuit tin up with a grunt and grabbed a couple of biscuits. 'Did we need reorganising?' he asked.

'Absolutely,' Annie told him. 'I never got a chance when the kitchen was installed to think about where anything went.'

'But it worked, didn't it?' said Will, before wandering out again.

Lily gulped and hoped she hadn't overreached herself. Yes, it would take a little time for everyone to learn where everything was, she thought. But it was going to make their lives so much easier in the long run.

At five o'clock, Annie glanced over at the kitchen clock. 'Well, I think you've done brilliantly today,' she said. 'You must be shattered.'

Lily glanced at her to-do list for that day. She had barely completed even a quarter of the tasks she had set herself.

'I can stay on for a while longer,' she replied. 'There's still so much to do.'

But Annie shook her head. 'It can all keep until tomorrow,' she told her. 'Besides, it's a beautiful evening. I'm sure you've got better things to do than be here with us lot.'

It appeared that Annie wasn't going to take no for an answer. Perhaps her hormones were raging a bit, thought Lily.

So she reluctantly said goodbye and headed out of the back door.

Annie was right, she realised. She had spent all day indoors and hadn't been able to enjoy the warm sun at all. Summer was still in full swing and she wound down the windows of her car. As she drove home, the smell of cut grass and birdsong filled the air.

If there was one positive thing about being made redundant and having to come home, it was being able to enjoy the end of summer in her home village again.

She had enjoyed playing in the woods when she was younger. In fact, she'd always played outside with her friends. The smell of sun cream and melting ice lollies always took her back to her happy childhood.

But in her teens she had begun to feel restless. The need to run away had grown within her, as well as the feeling that something was waiting for her just out of reach. Agitated and full of teenage hormones, she had started to get into trouble at school for disrupting the class.

In fact, it had been when she had been heading home late from yet another detention that she had bumped into Jack down by the river. Literally, in fact. She had turned a corner and crashed straight into his hard chest. She had taken one look at his handsome face and knew that he was exactly what she had been waiting for.

But it had just been a silly crush, she had always told herself. Besides, after the accident, she had had to grow up fast. With her father needing a long recovery in hospital, her grandparents had stepped up to help. Her grandmother had become even more fierce, but Lily had grown closer to her grandfather during those long, difficult months.

Her mum had struggled with the massive changes brought about to her husband. Now the main breadwinner, she'd had to go full-time at the supermarket – a job she had never really enjoyed even when doing fewer hours.

So Lily had abandoned her plans to go to university. There was no way she could have left her family during the worst of times and, besides, her college academic results weren't anywhere near good enough for a degree course. She had already begun to work in a bar to fund her college education, determined to contribute to the monthly bills as well. She had worked hard ever since.

Now she needed a job again, and this was the only one on offer. But the housekeeping role was beyond anything she had ever done. She was used to organising one-off events, not people. And certainly not extended families.

Her nerves were still rattled from the uncertainty of it all. But it would all work out fine, wouldn't it?

But the following morning started badly.

She had to wait ages to get into the bathroom once everyone else had finished in there. Then she needed to go out of her way to put petrol in the car, as it was running on fumes.

By the time she arrived at Willow Tree Hall, she was already hot, bothered and way behind on her to-do list.

'Sorry I'm late,' she said, rushing into the kitchen.

Annie looked up from the table and smiled. 'Morning! And I didn't even realise you were late.'

Lily glanced at the clock. It was nearly nine o'clock already and she had planned to be at the house by eight.

'Was breakfast OK this morning?' she asked.

'I think so,' said Annie, as if trying to remember. 'Apart from nobody being able to find anything, but we'll remember for tomorrow.'

'I'll make sure I'm here in time for breakfast tomorrow. Oh, and I still need that list of weekly food shopping from you so that I can get organised,' she added.

They were interrupted by Rose appearing at the steps. 'Darlings! Good morning!' she announced.

'Morning, Rose!' called out Annie.

'Good morning,' said Lily, as she brought out her folders from the large bag she had been carrying on her shoulder.

'How was your second date?' asked Annie.

Rose's eyes narrowed as she came over to dump a small laundry basket on the table. 'Well! You'd never believe it but the gentleman said that I was too old for him! I mean, me! I told him that I was only early sixties, but he wouldn't believe me. Said he only met up with me because I looked foxy in my photo.' Rose broke into a winning smile. 'Soft focus all the way, darlings. Don't I look like I'm only just in my sixties?'

She looked expectantly at them both.

Annie and Lily briefly exchanged a smile before saying at exactly the same time, 'Of course you do! Only fifties, I would say!'

'You're both so sweet,' said Rose. She looked at Lily with an enquiring look. 'Now, you haven't told me about your love life. Are you single?'

Lily smiled through gritted teeth. 'Unexpectedly so, just recently.'

'Men!' said Rose, rolling her eyes. 'They're just too awful but, oh! L'amour! Who can resist them? Now, have you tried Tinder? I mean, you get a few freaks obviously but the sex is marvellous!'

Just at that moment, Lily caught sight of Sam starting to head down the kitchen steps and abruptly turning and leaving again.

'Well, I've got a busy day planned,' carried on Rose, completely oblivious to everyone else's blushes. 'Washing first and then I'm heading out to lunch with my WI ladies. A garden centre, God help me. Who wants to see petunias? I'd rather be in a champagne bar, but what can you do? One must keep up the local morale!'

'Poor you,' cooed Annie. 'I'm seeing the midwife and then I'm going to visit Eleanor.'

'And what about you, my dear?' asked Rose, looking at Lily with piercing blue eyes.

'I'm meeting the new maid and getting on top of the chores,' said Lily, in a firm voice. 'Starting with your washing.'

Rose looked a bit startled. 'Really? I don't mind,' she stammered, glancing into the laundry basket. 'One of the shirts is years old. Biba, from the seventies.'

'All of Rose's clothes are designer fashions,' said Annie.

'That's absolutely fine,' said Lily quickly. She was anxious not to fail at one of the major responsibilities of the job. 'I'll make sure it gets done properly.'

Rose appeared a little nervous but nodded. 'Super! If you think so, sweetie. That'll leave me more time to do my nails. Fuchsia pink, I think!'

As Rose walked over to the fridge, Annie said, 'I don't know what time Megan's niece is arriving.'

'I do,' Lily told her. 'I texted Megan last night to organise it all.'

Annie looked a bit startled. 'Oh! OK. Great!'

'She should be arriving any minute, so I'll go and keep an eye out for her,' said Lily.

She was quite excited about having an extra pair of hands to help around the huge house. Hopefully it would take away the constant stress she was feeling in her stomach at the moment.

She found Lauren, a blonde nineteen-year-old, standing in the middle of the driveway, her mouth gaping and her eyes wide.

'Hi,' said Lily, heading out to see her. 'You must be Lauren. I'm Lily, the housekeeper.'

'Hey,' said Lauren, still staring up at the hall. 'I've got to clean all of it?'

'Not today,' Lily told her, with a laugh. But the joke fell flat.

Lauren was still gazing over Lily's shoulder. 'Is it haunted?' she whispered.

Lily shook her head. 'No. Definitely not.'

She wasn't sure if Lauren was relieved or dismayed to hear this.

'Let me show you around,' said Lily. 'Normally you'll come in through the back door around here. Staff don't go through the front door.'

Lauren nodded, remaining mute for now.

They went around the side of the house and through the back door, finding the kitchen empty for once.

'I've got a list for you to refer to, which will probably help you work out what needs doing where.' Perhaps that would help, she thought. Then Lauren would know what she had to do and Lily could check what might be missed.

But the girl had such a vacant look that Lily wasn't sure any of it was going in.

She brought out the list that she had written up the previous evening at home. She handed it over to Lauren, who stared over in goggle-eyed amazement at the writing on both sides of the paper.

'It looks worse than it is,' said Lily, trying to cheer up the girl. 'Have you ever cleaned anywhere before?'

Lauren shook her head.

'Well, not to worry,' Lily told her. 'It's quite simple. You see, I've broken it down room by room. So, here's the kitchen.' She pointed at the heading halfway down the paper. 'So, the to-do list for in here will be to wipe all cupboard doors and handles, sweep and clean the floor, disinfect all the worktops – including the table over there – sweep the fireplace, clean the windows and, where necessary, dispose of the rubbish and polish the silverware.'

She looked up from the paper, but found Lauren was too busy staring at Tom who had just come down the stairs to grab a banana from the kitchen.

'Hiya,' he said, with a nod and a smile before disappearing out of sight.

Lily turned to face Lauren, who was still gaping at the empty doorway.

'That was Tommy King' she stammered, her voice trailing away.

'Yes, it was,' said Lily, nodding. 'But we expect discretion at all times. Whatever you see and hear in the Hall must remain within these four walls. You understand?'

Lauren was still staring at the doorway, a small smile playing at her lips. 'Is he single?'

'No, he's not,' replied Lily, in a firm tone, trying to discourage this line of questioning. 'But it doesn't matter, does it? Because you're here to work.'

Lauren nodded, in a dazed manner.

Lily frowned to herself. She wasn't sure if this new member of staff was going to be a help or hindrance. But they'd both been thrown in at the deep end in their respective jobs. Perhaps they could find their feet together?

Lily was just hoping it would work out alright. It had to. She needed this job too badly.

###

Jack was hunched over his desk, trying and failing to concentrate on the file in front of him, which included the designs for converting an old country manor house in Scotland into a contemporary spa.

'Have you got a moment?' said his secretary, knocking at the door to his office. 'The boss wants a word.'

Jack abandoned his desk and went into Eric's office.

'Take a seat,' said Eric, leaning back in his chair.

Jack sat down on the opposite side of the enormous glass desk.

'Have you fixed a date to head up to Scotland yet?' asked Eric.

'I was just working on it,' lied Jack.

'Good, good,' said Eric, nodding. 'Now, let's talk about Willow Tree Hall.'

'You're still obsessing over that property? It's not like you to be sentimental about a place,' said Jack, laughing.

Eric wasn't laughing, though. 'What I want, I get.'

Jack's humour quickly faded. 'Look, I understand it's a great building, but if the family don't want to sell then we can't make them.'

To his surprise, Eric smiled. 'I thought your naivety had dissipated somewhat over these past couple of years, but obviously not. You're still the fresh-faced electrician who came into my office all those years ago.'

Jack remembered the day well. He had trained at college to be an electrician, thinking that a trade would be the best way to stop him from ever being hungry or homeless again. He had taken charge of his future.

But then he had begun talking to Eric, who had wanted some new lights fitted in his office. Eric had sensed the hunger in Jack and had ended up taking him out to lunch. He needed somebody he could use. Someone with drive and a desire to make an awful lot of money.

And he had succeeded. Yet Jack remained uneasy as to the way he had made his fortune.

'Did you really think that I would ever take no for an answer?' Eric continued. 'I want that place as one of our flagship hotels.'

'But there's absolutely no chance of them selling,' Jack repeated.

Eric spread out his hands. 'You obviously don't play chess,' he said. 'You've got to play the whole board.' Jack remained silent as Eric carried on. 'Everyone has a pressure point. You just need to find it.'

Jack understood about being a hard-nosed businessman, but on occasion Eric's ethics left a lot to be desired.

'And you've found this magical thing?' asked Jack.

Eric smiled. 'As it happens, one of my friends is on the local council. You've heard talk of this new bypass, I presume?'

Jack nodded, not liking where this conversation was going.

'You see, the suggested route for the new road system didn't really add up. Getting a bit close to our beloved golf club!' Eric laughed. 'Terrible idea! It'll ruin the peace over there when we're playing. Anyway, there is still a necessity for the traffic to be rerouted, so here is the latest idea.'

He slipped a piece of paper across his desk.

Jack leaned forward to take it and stared down at the map. The silence stretched out as he studied it.

'I don't understand what I'm looking at,' he said slowly. Or rather, he thought he understood but was hoping to be proved wrong. 'The new proposed route takes the bypass right alongside Cranley.'

Eric shook his head. 'Better than that. If we play our cards right, we can actually have it going through the grounds of Willow Tree Hall itself.'

Jack looked up at his boss, aghast. 'But then you'd never get your hotel!' he spluttered.

'Think!' urged Eric. 'Of course we're not going to have the bypass go that way, but give them a big enough threat and they'll cave in. People always do. We'll give them a not-too-generous offer and off they'll go. Then the bypass plans can be quickly dropped and I'll get my luxury hotel.'

Jack swiftly stood up, the anger surging through him. 'You can't do this!'

Eric seemed surprised at his fury. 'I think you'll find that I most certainly can, and will be doing so. I like to win.'

Jack was shaking his head in disbelief. 'You can't play with people's lives like this. These are good people.'

Eric held out his hands, palms facing upwards. 'I understand that the Earl of Cranley has been experiencing financial difficulties in recent years. I'm sure the upkeep of a large stately home must require very deep pockets.'

Jack paced up and down, trying to find a coherent thought. 'There must be some other way.'

'Not as far as I'm concerned.'

It was the smug smile on Eric's face that finally brought Jack to his senses. He realised that, for once, business had to come second place and his personal feelings had to come first.

He stopped pacing and put his hands on the desk to lean forward. 'If you do this, you'll have to carry it through without me,' said Jack. 'I cannot and will not work on this project.'

'I appreciate it's a conflict of interest for you,' said Eric smoothly.

But Jack shook his head. 'It's not just that. It's wrong. Very wrong to manipulate people like this.'

'It's just business,' said Eric, with a shrug.

'No. It's more than that to me,' Jack told him. 'This is friends and families being uprooted just because you won't take no for an answer. It makes no sense. Why do I get the feeling that it's more personal this time?'

There was a pause. 'I may have had dealings with the family in years gone by,' said Eric eventually, avoiding eye contact. 'And I never forget an insult.'

'And this is you finally getting your own back?' Jack was still horrified. 'Well, I refuse to play any part in this.'

'I'm sorry you feel that way,' said Eric. 'I shall, of course, be sad to lose you. However, there are plenty more people who would be willing to take on this project in your place.'

Eric didn't care, Jack realised. If he didn't push through this project, Eric would get someone else to do the dirty work instead.

But for the first time in a long time Jack didn't care about the promotion, the money, the competition. This was about the principle.

He had achieved everything he'd always wanted, having been lured in by the expensive suits and a better lifestyle. But was it actually better? Had he got that far by not hurting anyone? Suddenly he wasn't so sure.

'Tell me one thing,' said Jack. 'What if they don't cave? What if the family don't sell, regardless of your idle threats?'

Eric's eyes grew hard. 'Then they will discover that the threats aren't just idle.'

'This is going to have a terrible effect on their lives,' Jack told him, exasperated.

'We can't please everyone,' said Eric, sounding bored. 'I cannot be concerned with every tenant on the Willow Tree Hall estate.'

'Are you even concerned about any of them?' snapped Jack.

Eric fixed him with a stare. 'Well, as they say, you're either with us or against us.'

Jack stood up from the desk and looked down at Eric. 'I quit,' he told him. 'And don't worry about me making things awkward around here as I serve out my notice, because I won't.'

Eric raised his eyebrows slightly but merely said, 'As you wish. Of course, were you to agree to do this small project then there would be another bonus payment at the end of it. A very generous bonus, you'll find.'

'I don't care about the money,' said Jack. And it was the truth. The money was less important for the first time in his life.

'What about a new company car?' said Eric. 'I might even stretch to a Porsche next time.'

'Keep your damned car,' said Jack. 'I'd rather have my integrity.'

With that, he walked out of the office, slamming the door as he left.

###

After yet another delayed start to the day with the whole family fighting for the bathroom, Lily arrived at Willow Tree Hall later than intended that morning, feeling stressed.

'I was wondering whether I could take you up on your offer to stay in the staff quarters, if that's OK?' she asked, having poured out her first mug of coffee for the day.

Annie smiled. 'Of course. Bit crowded at home, is it?'

Lily rolled her eyes. 'Four adults and one bathroom. It was never going to be easy. But I'll have to pop home every couple of days, otherwise Mum will kill me.'

Annie assured her that it was fine for her to stay.

With that matter in hand, Lily was determined to make better use of her day. But she was

quickly finding out that being a housekeeper was a little harder than she had anticipated. She had thought that the cleaning and washing side of things would be the easiest of all to handle.

As she stared down at a lumpen, crusty mess in her hands Lily realised that she had been totally wrong.

'I don't know what happened,' she said, feeling absolutely mortified. 'I was sure that the tumble dryer setting wasn't on. And yet...' Her voice trailed away. There was no excuse. She had totally ruined a very expensive piece of designer fashion.

Rose took what used to be the silk top from her and stared down at the crumpled blue ball. 'Well, sweetie, I was never sure the colour was quite me, anyway. But look at that stitching. Yves Saint Laurent in the early seventies. The workmanship is extraordinary.' She took a deep breath. 'As I said, don't worry. But perhaps I shall take charge of my laundry from here on in. After all, I don't think anyone should be exposed to all my fabulous lace lingerie.'

She gave Lily a wink but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

As Rose walked away, Lily gave herself a strict talking to. It would be fine. Just one minor mistake, that was all. She just needed to take more care with everything.

Lauren had begun to work on cleaning the house, and that had turned out to be a bit of a nightmare as well. Not only had she cleaned the windows in the drawing room with some kind of cream detergent that meant they were totally smeary, she had dropped a priceless plate off a shelf whilst dusting, and dropped the hoover down the stairs, causing the full plastic cylinder of dust and waste to scatter all over the entrance hall floor. It had taken an hour to put the hoover back together and clean up the mess.

Lily was sure that the new cleaner would come good in the end, though. At least, that was what she kept telling herself.

At lunchtime, Arthur had walked into the kitchen to give Dylan the dog a treat. Dylan had then run around the kitchen before leaping up at Lily.

'Perhaps we could leave Dylan outside in future?' asked Lily, looking down at the dusty paw prints all over her shorts and the just-cleaned floor.

'Well, I suppose so,' said Arthur, looking a little downcast. 'But he does so like to go halves with my sandwich.'

Arthur was so sweet, thought Lily. But she was liable to lose her job at this rate if nothing was ever clean for very long.

'Perhaps it's for the best if we're to keep on top of the housework,' said Lily, trying to reassure him. 'After all, Lauren has worked so hard to keep everywhere clean.'

'Of course,' said Arthur, nodding. 'You're quite right. By the way, do you happen to know what happened to the last jar of pickle that was in the fridge?'

'I threw it out,' Lily told him. 'It didn't have a use-by date on it.'

'Oh dear,' said Arthur. 'One of my lovely tenants made it for me.'

'Gosh, I'm sorry,' said Lily, grimacing.

'Not to worry,' he told her. 'I'll have my cheese plain.'

As he went outside, Lily began to clean the floor once more, but Annie wandered back in.

'I feel so sick again,' she said, slumping down at the table, clutching a piece of paper.

'What can I get you?' asked Lily. 'Ginger biscuit? Tea?'

Annie shook her head and waved the paper. 'I must keep going. I promised Sam I'd send these out for him.'

'What is it?' asked Lily.

'We thought we'd save money by sending out the album launch venue and date ourselves. This is the draft email. Sam's been so busy with the estate that he hasn't had time to send it, so I said I would.' Annie gulped. 'Trouble is, every time I look at the screen I feel ill again.'

'Leave it with me,' said Lily.

Annie shook her head. 'No, it's fine. I should do it. It's not your job.'

Lily felt a surge of optimism in her work. If she could take on some extra work then she might even be able to keep her job for longer than the summer.

'I can handle it,' said Lily, taking the piece of paper from her. 'Is this the list of email addresses? That's OK. I'll just send out a general invitation on your behalf. Give me your phone and I can do it from your email address.'

Annie still looked unsure. 'I don't know,' she began.

'I do,' said Lily, taking the phone from her. 'Leave it with me so that you can go and rest.'

Once more, her actual to-do list was barely half finished by teatime, such were the levels of constant disruption. Lily was getting so behind with her chores that she was hoping to work late before heading upstairs to enjoy the luxury of having a whole bathroom to herself in the servants' quarters and sleeping in the peaceful attic.

But first she had to get through dinner, which was, as she had predicted, a big, noisy affair with everyone gathered around the patio table. The air was definitely a little cooler that evening and Rose had brought out her cardigan.

'Nights are drawing in a bit now,' she said, pulling her cardigan around her.

It was true. Now, in late August, the sun was setting at 8 p.m., sinking below the trees lining the large grounds at the back of the Hall.

Even the pergola, which had been built above the huge table, no longer had various cloths of assorted colours hanging from it, as the shade was not required at that time of day.

'How's the new maid working out?' asked Skye, as they all reached forward to help themselves to the cold meats and salads laid out across the table.

'She's OK,' said Annie, as she dropped a spoonful of potatoes onto her plate.

Everyone took a look at Lily, who gave them a small smile. 'I'm sure she can only improve.'

'Couldn't be much worse,' muttered Annie.

Sam smiled. 'So she's almost as hopeless as you were as a housekeeper.'

'Which is the precise reason we're keeping her on,' said Annie, giving him a nudge.

'Exactly.' Sam put his arm around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. 'And you turned out OK, didn't you?'

'Please!' said Will, groaning. 'You'll put me off my food.'

'My husband, the romantic,' murmured Skye, giving Will a soft smile, which he returned.

'I just think the girl needs a bit of confidence,' began Rose.

But she was interrupted by the front doorbell.

'Who on earth can that be at this time of day?' asked Annie.

'Another love-struck suitor of Aunt Rose's probably,' said Will, with a grin.

'My hot date is planned for tomorrow night, actually,' said Rose, glancing at her watch. 'Unless he's extra-keen, of course.'

'I'll get it,' said Lily, swiftly getting up. After all, it was her job to take charge of the comings and goings of the house.

Her mind full of what else needed organising, the last person she expected to come face to face with when she opened the front door was Jack.

'What are you doing here again?' she blurted out before coming to her senses. He was still a guest, after all. 'I mean, the family are at dinner,' she told him, in a slightly pompous tone. 'Can I take them a message?'

He raised his eyebrows and she braced herself for a joke at her expense. But it never came.

She realised that he looked quite agitated and upset.

'What's the matter?' she asked quickly, softening her tone.

He dragged a hand through his hair. 'I don't know what to do. It's bad.'

She looked into his brown eyes.

'Really bad,' he added. 'I need to speak to the family.'

She found herself nodding. 'They're outside on the patio having dinner. You'd better follow me.'

And she turned away to lead him across the entrance hall, wondering what on earth had Jack so worried.

###

As Jack followed Lily across the entrance hall, voices and laughter bubbled up from beyond the French doors. The sound of a happy family. He grimaced, knowing that he was about to break their happy mood.

How on earth was he going to tell everyone that the Willow Tree Hall was in danger of being razed to the ground? All of the homes, the close community that they loved, gone forever.

He had only been there a week or so ago, after so many years' absence, and had never dreamed that he would be returning so soon. But he had to tell Sam and the family first. After all, the houses, the community, everything was down to the Harris family.

He followed Lily outside and found the family seated around a long oak table. It was a happy scene, the table groaning with food and everyone chatting and laughing.

'Hello again!' said Annie, looking up with a smile.

'Hey,' said Sam, springing up to shake his hand. 'What are you doing back here?'

'How nice to see you again,' said Arthur from the head of the table.

'There's plenty of food,' said Annie, gesturing at the many bowls and plates of food piled up on the table. 'Grab a plate if you want.'

Their warm welcome made him feel even worse.

'Hey, Jack!' said Will, also getting up to shake his hand. 'Long time no see. I was sorry to miss you last week.'

'Good to see you too, Will,' Jack told him.

'Come and take a seat,' said Will, sitting back down and giving the purple-haired woman to his right a nudge. 'Jack, this is my wife, Skye. Budge up, Mrs Harris.'

The pretty woman smiled indulgently at Will. 'Hi,' she said.

They all shuffled along the bench to make extra space.

'Jack can always sit on my knee if there's not enough room,' called out Rose, with a wink and a cheeky grin.

But he could find no humour that evening and shook his head. He needed to be standing up for this, he felt.

'Is everything OK?' asked Annie, frowning.

Jack gulped. 'Not really.'

The lively discussions around the table began to falter.

'What is it?' asked Sam, looking concerned. 'Is it your parents?'

'No,' said Jack, quickly. 'They're fine, thanks. But I need to tell you what I've found out at work today.'

'Is this about the offer to turn us into a hotel?' asked Sam, smiling. 'Because it feels like one already when we're feeding this lot.'

But his smile faded as he realised the seriousness of Jack's expression.

'Like I said before, my boss was very keen to buy this property,' began Jack. 'You turning him down didn't go down too well.'

Will shrugged his shoulders. 'So? He sent you and we said no. The guy will have to move on.'

'He isn't a man that people say no to very often,' said Jack. 'He's used to getting his way.'

'Like Will said, so what?' asked Sam. 'I mean, I don't want to be rude, but it's his loss.'

Jack took a deep breath. 'The trouble is that it could be yours as well.'

'What are you talking about?' asked Sam.

'It turns out that he knows some very influential people on the council,' Jack told them. 'People who could cause problems for the village. And for this family.'

'Problems?' asked Rose, looking astounded as she glanced at Arthur. 'What kind of problems?'

'There's been suggestion of a bypass,' began Jack.

'Oh, yes, we know all about that,' said Rose, waving a dismissive hand. 'Think it's going past Aldwych, isn't it? But that's miles from here.'

Jack sighed. 'It seems that there's an alternative route that wasn't originally declared as an option.'

The family stared up at him expectantly.

'Is that all?' asked Will, reaching across the table to grab a bread roll.

Jack forced himself to carry on speaking. 'If you won't sell your property then there is the real possibility that the route of the bypass could be altered so that it runs through Cranley.'

Will's hand hovered over the bread roll before he slowly withdrew it. 'Through Cranley?'

'You mean, it comes closer to the village than we thought,' said Sam, looking concerned.

'That's awful,' said Annie, looking back up at Jack. 'How close?'

'Not close,' said Jack, taking a deep breath. 'Over. Through, I mean. Directly through the village and the grounds of Willow Tree Hall.'

There was a second of stunned silence before everyone reacted. Rose gave a shout of dismay and began talking to Arthur quickly. Sam and his brother leapt up from the table to shout and rant. Annie placed a protective hand over her baby bump before bursting into tears. Skye rushed around the table to comfort her.

Jack stared at Lily over the melee. She was looking at him with wide, shocked eyes.

'I don't believe it,' he saw her mouth say. 'I just don't believe it.'

Jack looked past them all to where Arthur was sitting, looking calm at the head of the table with Rose still talking ten to the dozen at him.

He nodded thoughtfully before holding up a hand and saying, 'sit down,' to his grandsons.

It was a quiet voice but it carried over all the different conversations, bringing them to a halt.

'And, Jack, please join us and sit down,' said Arthur, gesturing with his hand. 'There is no point spoiling a perfectly good meal. I suggest we eat our dinner and then discuss the matter calmly.'

'Grandad, we can't remain calm!' snapped Sam, who had remained standing. 'They could be planning to flatten Willow Tree Hall right at this very minute!'

'We've faced worse,' said Arthur.

Will and Sam exchanged horrified looks.

'We can fight this,' said Sam to his brother.

'Too right,' said Will, nodding, but he also looked worried.

'I agree,' Arthur told them. 'And we will. But we can't do anything on an empty stomach.'

'I've lost my appetite,' said Annie tearfully, pushing her plate away.

'You more than anyone around here need to eat,' said Skye, pulling the plate back towards her.

'Talking of which, I'm going to need a bloody big drink after this,' said Rose, still looking upset. 'Jack, darling, please sit down. And you boys, too.'

Reluctantly, Jack sat down at the end of the table next to Lily. She plated up some food for him and handed it over.

'Thanks,' he murmured, feeling that he, too, didn't have an appetite.

Sam and Will also sat down. Arthur was insistent, so they ate their dinner in a strained silence whilst everyone was desperate for more details.

Finally, after they had eaten, everyone left the patio table and went into the drawing room.

'Sam, light a fire, would you?' said Rose, with a shiver. 'For some reason I'm feeling cold tonight.'

It was an elegant room, thought Jack, but still homely, warm and welcoming. But he would rather have been anywhere else than there that evening.

Once everyone was seated on the comfy sofas and the fire was lit in the hearth, Jack told them in more detail what he had discussed with Eric.

'Have you got a copy of the map?' asked Sam.

Jack shook his head. 'Sorry. No.'

'Can you remember the exact route?' asked Will.

'More or less,' said Jack, closing his eyes to see the mental image in front of him. 'It followed the original route, but seemed to then turn abruptly just outside the village. It was quite a sharp bend. Then it followed the river along the banks, through the village and out the other side.'

'Right past Willow Tree Hall,' said Sam in a dull tone.

Jack nodded. 'Yes. Sorry.'

'It's not your fault,' said Sam, shaking his head. 'But why on earth hasn't this come up in the proposals? Why keep it a secret?'

'Because somebody's getting a backhander somewhere,' said Will, looking cross.

'I agree,' said Rose, with a grimace. 'That council is as dirty as they come. Lots of grubby fingers in even grubbier pies.'

'So, what do we do?' asked Annie, looking around at everyone.

'We fight,' said Arthur, finally speaking, a determined tone filling his words. 'And we win.'

###

Lily was sitting with everyone in the drawing room, staring at the flames in the fireplace. But they brought her no comfort. Instead, she felt sick with worry. Her home village, her family and her job were all under threat from Jack's boss. She couldn't believe it. What on earth was she going to do?

'What I don't understand is why us?' said Annie, still upset over the news. 'I mean, aren't there lots of other stately homes that he could buy up instead?'

'I agree,' said Sam, nodding. 'It's all very fishy. What's your boss's name?'

'Eric Thatcher,' Jack told him.

Lily watched as Rose and Arthur exchanged a look.

Sam caught it as well. 'What is it?' he asked. 'What don't we know?'

Arthur sighed heavily.

'I'll tell them,' said Rose, looking serious for once. 'You see, we have a connection with Eric Thatcher. Not a very agreeable one, I should add.'

'You know Eric?' Jack leaned forward in his seat. He had suspected as much.

'He knew your mother from a long time ago,' said Rose, looking at her nephews.

Sam and Will looked at each other but stayed quiet.

'Unfortunately, Eric likes to get his own way,' carried on Rose, with a look of distaste on her face. 'He never got over the fact that Edward and Isabel were so happily married. So he tried it on with your lovely mother at one of our parties.'

'He was the one?' said Will, looking ashen.

Skye reached out and squeezed his hand.

Rose nodded.

'What happened?' asked Sam, in a shocked tone.

'Eric took it too far,' Rose told him. 'So Edward gave him a black eye. Of course, the awful rogue even had the temerity to come to their funeral, which was only a month or so later. Thankfully, Bert threw him out.'

'Grandad did that?' blurted Lily, equally shocked.

Rose smiled. 'Oh, yes. He's always been quite the he-man.'

Lily couldn't imagine her elderly grandfather as anything other than an old man. But she supposed he had been young and fit once as well.

'So that's the reason we're being targeted?' said Sam.

'I should imagine so,' said Rose sadly before drawing herself up once more. 'But he won't win. Bullies never do, you see.'

But Lily noticed that she was rolling one of her many large rings round and around her finger with nerves. She also saw that Jack was doing the same with the signet ring on his little finger.

'I'm going up to bed,' announced Annie, still looking very tearful. 'I feel exhausted. Do you know where everything is?' she asked, looking at Lily.

Lily was concerned. 'I know I said I'd stay, but maybe I should go home tonight. You know, after everything that's happened.'

'Rubbish!' said Rose. 'We must carry on – don't let the buggers win. And I, for one, think it's an excellent idea that you stay! We can have a little drinkie each night to relax before dinner.'

Lily felt a bit embarrassed. 'Actually, I thought I could work a bit later and start earlier. To get ahead of my chores, as it were.'

Rose shook her head sadly. 'All work and no play makes for a very dull love life, sweetie.' Then she winked. 'But perhaps I can corrupt you.'

'I should be going,' said Jack, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, listening.

'You'll come back tomorrow?' asked Sam. 'Maybe we can talk it through a bit more once we've recovered from the shock.'

Jack nodded. 'Of course.'

'I'll see Jack out,' said Lily, still determined to do her job, despite it being Jack and despite the awful news he had brought them all.

He said his goodnights and they left the drawing room. She glanced at him once they were back in the entrance hall. He was wearing what appeared to be another expensive suit. It was a long way away from the rough, troubled teenager she had fallen in love with all those years ago.

But so much had happened since then. She supposed he had moved on as well.

She felt a sudden spurt of anger. After all, it was his company who had caused all the problems. His fault. How dare he swan in wearing his expensive suits and ruin everything for everyone?

'I thought you promised the family that it was just a consultation when you came here the other day,' she snapped.

'I was wrong.'

She looked into his glaring face and realised that he had reverted back to his sullen teenage self.

'So you've come back here to gloat?' she asked.

He looked down at her. 'No, I came here to help. I quit my job.'

He looked grim-faced and worried, and that made her fret even more. There was so much more she wanted to ask but her mind was drawing a blank, such was the level of stress building inside her.

'So you're the housekeeper here now?' he asked abruptly.

She nodded. 'I only started this week.'

For the first time that evening, he smiled. 'I must say, I wasn't expecting Lily Harper to be a housekeeper, here of all places. I thought you were going to see the world. Run away. Live.'

She lifted her chin a little. 'I was going to run away, remember? With you.'

The silence grew as his smile faded. 'I remember,' he finally said.

'And who's to say that I haven't lived?' she told him.

'True.'

His brown eyes bore into hers until she could bear it no longer.

'Well, as you've realised, I've got a job to do, so if you'll excuse me.' She tried and failed to give him a smile. 'Goodnight.'

She marched away, leaving him standing alone in the entrance hall as she went upstairs. She heard the front door close behind him as he left.

The staff quarters had been renovated over the summer, Annie had told her. 'Not that we were expecting any staff. More room for extra guests.'

Consequently, as Lily climbed from the first floor up the small staircase to the eaves of the roof, she wasn't in some dark and dingy space. It was light and airy, with the old housekeeper's room decorated as luxuriously as the rest of the house.

But Lily couldn't sleep, despite the comfortable bed and beautiful wallpaper. In the peace of the house as everyone slept, she tossed and turned, wondering how on earth she was going to tell her family.

She rose early after dawn, feeling terrible with a raging headache. She crept out of the house, where all was still quiet, and drove home. She knew her grandad would be awake and she was desperate to talk to her family.

The worry tore into her as she pulled up outside the cottage. They barely survived on their heavily subsidised rent. And that was only kept low thanks to the Harris family. Where would they go? How on earth could they afford anywhere else?

She quietly crept into the house, but there was no need. Her grandfather and mum were already at the kitchen table.

'Morning,' said Bert, looking up from his tea in surprise.

'What are you doing here?' asked her mum. 'You haven't given up on that job already, have you? I'll never live it down with Rose and her friends if you have.'

'No, it's not that.' Lily glanced at the staircase, but there was no sound of movement upstairs. 'Is Dad not up yet?'

'No,' said Celia. 'I've got an early shift and your grandad's always up at this time.'

Lily nodded. 'Good. Well, it's not good, actually. I've got something to tell you both.'

'You're pregnant!' said her mum, her eyes wide. 'By that awful ex-boyfriend of yours! Mark! I never liked him.'

'Mum! No! It's not that.' Lily rolled her eyes. 'It's to do with the village.'

Slowly, she told them what had happened the previous evening and what Jack had announced. At the end, there was a shocked silence before her mother drained her mug of tea.

'Well, I don't see why you had to rush over here to worry us. It'll all get sorted. Politicians! Don't trust them an inch.' But her voice was a little tremulous as she spoke. She looked across at her father-in-law. 'What do you say, Bert?'

'I say it's all a fuss over nothing,' he said, with a firm nod of his head. 'Nobody's going to build a bloody great road through this village. Right. I need to sow some more onions. I'll have a lift back to the Hall, if you're offering.'

Lily was aghast and looked from her mum to her grandad. 'Is that it?'

Bert shrugged. 'There's no point worrying over nothing.' He gave her mum a nod. 'I'll see you later, after work.'

And that was the end of the conversation, as far as her family were concerned. Lily knew she should trust their brave words, but deep inside she was fearful for the future.

###

After breakfast at home, Lily drove her grandad back to Willow Tree Hall. She said goodbye and watched as he walked slowly around the house towards his walled garden. She wondered whether his normal gruff exterior was just a front for how he really felt about the threat to the village.

She found herself shivering. September was just around the corner and the sun was lower that morning. Everything felt just a little bit colder.

Just as she was walking across the driveway towards the kitchen door, Rose flung open the front door as she went past.

'Morning, sweetie!' she said, giving Lily an exuberant kiss on the cheek. 'What do you think? I'm in pillar-box red for the occasion. It's the colour of war, you know!' Rose was wearing a scarlet skirt suit with many ropes of pearls around her neck. 'You'll find the girls in the kitchen, so you go and join them. I'm gathering together the WI for an emergency breakfast meeting. Forewarned is forearmed! The fight starts today!'

She strode off towards a nearby car, which Lily realised Will was driving. He gave her a short wave as he set off down the driveway.

Lily watched the car drive away, thinking that maybe, just maybe, there was a little ray of hope for their village. After all, who could possibly refuse Rose anything?

She carried on into the kitchen and found Annie huddled over a mug of coffee, along with Megan and Eleanor.

'Hi!' said Annie, looking up. Her eyes were red and she had obviously been crying.

'Hey,' said Megan. 'Come and join the misery party.'

'There's nothing to be miserable about,' said Eleanor, in a cross tone of voice. 'It's never going to happen. You heard what Rose said just now. Nobody's getting rid of my village.'

But despite her strong words, Eleanor was scratching at her hands in worry.

'Our village,' said Megan, leaning across the table to stop Eleanor from scratching her skin.

'Old habits,' muttered Eleanor, rubbing at her skin.

'You'll make yourself ill,' Megan told her.

Lily sat down at the table and looked at Annie. 'How are you this morning?'

'Hormonal,' said Annie. 'What about you? I figured you'd probably gone home to talk to your family.'

Lily nodded grimly. 'Mum's keeping calm and carrying on.'

Megan nodded. 'Quite right. It's all a load of hot air.'

'Rose has gone off talking of battles and people of influence,' said Eleanor, with a grin. 'I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of an angry bunch of WI women.'

'What are they going to do?' muttered Megan. 'Disarm them with a Victoria sponge?'

Eleanor shrugged her shoulders. 'I dunno. Rose thought they might know someone who knew someone who's on the council.'

'Well, that's a start,' said Lily.

'In the meantime, I've got soaps to make,' said Eleanor. 'We've got the summer fete this weekend, remember?'

'At least it's more or less organised,' said Annie, blowing out a long sigh. 'I didn't realise that it might be the last one here, though.'

'It won't be,' said Megan, looking across to Lily. 'Tell her, would you?'

'There's no point getting ahead of ourselves,' said Lily. 'Megan's right. We've got to think positive. Nothing's set. I'm sure it'll all be forgotten about.'

Although she was feeling less positive later that morning when faced with a tearful Lauren, who was holding another broken item: this time a vase.

'They're going to sack me, aren't they?' muttered the teenager. 'What will my mum say?'

'No,' said Lily, taking a deep breath. 'You're not going to lose your job over this, but you must be more careful.'

The trouble was that Lauren just wasn't cut out for dusting cautiously around much-loved antiques. So Lily ended up taking on the task of dusting and let Lauren do the hoovering instead.

But all the additional work meant that Lily was running behind with her long list of things to do for that day, including the bread-making, which she had offered to take on. Later, she stared down at the flat loaf.

'I don't understand,' said Lily, tapping it against the counter. It was almost rock hard.

'You didn't let it prove long enough,' said Lauren, who was mopping the floor nearby.

'I thought I did,' said Lily, checking her phone for her timings.

'Nah.' Lauren stopped to gesture at the loaf. 'See that line around the outside? That means it's under-proved.'

Lily was amazed. 'How do you know all this?'

Lauren blushed and shrugged her shoulders. 'I love all those cooking programmes.'

'That bread smells lovely,' said Annie, coming into the kitchen. 'I'm starving. Anyone else want a slice with butter and jam?'

'You'll need a magic knife to slice this loaf,' said Lily, showing her the flattened loaf.

'Oh no!' Annie grinned. 'Biscuit tin it is, then! By the way,' she added, pausing as she went to grab a handful of chocolate digestives, 'I meant to let you know that some of Sam's friends are coming for the fete this weekend.'

'How many?' asked Lily.

'Well, let me see.' Annie counted on her fingers. 'There's the band, so that's five. And Sam's best friend, Alex: that's another one. So six more to stay, if that's OK?'

'It's fine,' said Lily, managing a winning smile whilst thinking of how much work all those extra people would bring.

The arrival of Hazy Memory caused quite a stir on Friday. The family were very excited at breakfast.

'They're old friends,' said Rose, with a smile.

'Very old,' drawled Will. 'They're all sixty if a day.'

'With a mental age of twenty,' added Sam as he reached across for the butter.

Lily thought back to the band when she had seen them at the wedding and the previous summer fete. Despite their long hair and the wrinkles that betrayed a wild social life spread over many years, Skye told her that they were actually a pretty nice bunch of guys. Notwithstanding their overreliance on awful rock music and leather clothing.

'But that's all changed now,' said Sam, with a smile. 'Number-one album last Christmas. Another easy listening one about to be recorded for this year's festive season. It's all coming good for them.'

'So no more leather?' said Rose, making a face. 'How disappointing. I was planning on buying myself a pair of leather trousers now that I'm in full councillor-trapping mode.'

'Mata Hari, eat your heart out,' muttered Arthur.

'Indeed, brother,' said Rose, nodding.

'I shouldn't bother,' added Will. 'Sam and I have been talking. We think it's all a storm in a teacup over nothing. That Eric isn't going to move a whole road network just because of some ancient history that happened with our parents.'

'I agree,' said Sam, nodding. 'I think everyone needs to stop stressing. Nothing's going to come of it.'

'I'm not so sure,' said Rose, with a frown. 'He always was a slippery character.'

'You just like the idea of entrapping and spying on some fancy council chap,' said Will, grinning.

'Darling, you read me like a book,' said Rose, with a wink.

Sam reached for the jam. 'Looks like you'd better abandon your leather trousers, just like Hazy Memory. They are leather-clad rockers no more. It's all suits and slicked-back hair from here on in.'

But when the band arrived later that morning and began to pile out of Mick's Rolls-Royce, Lily saw Sam shake his head in dismay.

'You can lead a rock band to water but all they really want is tequila,' said Will, slapping his brother on the shoulder. 'Still, think of the album sales, eh?'

Lily saw the same five leather-clad, long-haired rockers that she had seen at Annie's wedding. Annie had told Lily that Hazy Memory were one of the first bands that Sam had ever managed and, apparently, were named after a wild weekend in the early seventies that none of them could remember.

Hazy Memory had the dubious honour of recording the most annoying Christmas single of all time. They all hated their one big hit song but knew it was the only way to make a living. However, a chance singalong at the previous year's summer fete held at Willow Tree Hall had gone viral, thanks to people recording it on their iPhones. Suddenly, the band were back in the big league with their latest album, full of old-fashioned hits with a soft-rock twist.

It was all smiles and hugs as everyone greeted one another.

'You're back in leather!' cried Sam, as he hugged Mick, the lead singer.

'Didn't feel right without it,' said Mick, grinning, as he turned to face Annie. 'Wow! You're looking bloomin' lovely! A little Mick or Mickette!'

Annie laughed. 'Now there's a different name we hadn't thought of!'

'Darling!' cooed Rose, coming across to give Mick a kiss on both cheeks. 'You're looking marvellous.'

'You too, sweetheart,' said Mick, lifting Rose off the floor as he hugged her. 'What's your secret?'

'Sex!' said Rose, giggling. 'What else?'

Mick laughed. 'I hear ya! That's what keeps my wrinkles at bay as well. It's so good to be back here. We've been working far too hard, haven't we, lads?'

'Glad to hear it,' said Arthur, coming through the front door to shake everyone's hands.

'Hello, your lordship,' said Mick, stepping forward.

'Surely we're on first-name terms by now?' said Arthur, with a smile. 'Come on through.'

'By the way, boys, this is Lily, our new temporary housekeeper,' said Annie over her shoulder as she walked back inside the house.

'Smashing!' croaked Mick, the scratch-voiced lead singer and infamous womaniser. He ran his eyes up and down Lily. 'Are you on call day and night, my lovely?'

'Leave off!' snapped Sam. 'You'll have us all done for sexual harassment if you go on like this.'

'I'm just sussing out whether she's available for room service,' said Mick, still leering.

His youthful blue eyes twinkled, the assets that he had used to woo many hundreds of women over the years, including his three ex-wives. With his long hair, he had all the hallmarks of a classic rock star, albeit one now enjoying middle age.

'Definitely not,' said Sam, pulling Mick away. 'No room service.'

'He's like that with everyone,' whispered Annie to Lily.

Still expecting hardened partygoers, Lily was amazed to hear Howard, the drummer, announce, 'I've been looking forward to this fete all summer.'

'Can't beat a bit of homemade lemonade, can you?' said the guitarist, as they took a drink in the kitchen.

Perhaps they weren't quite as wild as she had first thought.

'I dunno,' said Mick, with a shudder. 'I could do with something stronger.'

So Lily headed into the kitchen with Rose and Annie to make up a jug of mojito that everyone could help themselves to.

'This is yummy,' said Rose, with a gleam as she took a sip. 'What is it?'

'Rum, sugar and lime juice,' said Lily, shredding some mint leaves on the top.

'Wherever did you learn to do this?' asked Annie. 'Mmm, wish I could try some.'

'I had an evening job at that cocktail bar in Aldwych when I was at college,' said Lily. 'Always knew it might come in handy at some stage.'

'You should come and hang outside with us all,' said Annie, grabbing some glasses.

But Lily shook her head. 'Too much to do,' she said. 'Anyway, entertaining them is your job.'

She briefly wondered what her teenage self would say, turning down the opportunity to drink and laugh with a famous rock band. She thought fifteen-year-old Lily would think that she was out of her tiny mind.

But almost-thirty-year-old Lily knew better. She'd had her wild years and the whole family had paid the price. This was all about the job and keeping it for as long as she could. This was about being sensible and not succumbing to the wild side.

For a second, she thought about a stolen kiss with Jack by the river one balmy summer evening. How he had leaned in and how she had felt as their lips met. That rush of desire. That feeling that nothing else would ever match that feeling.

But Lily quickly dismissed the thought. To dwell on the past meant to face it all, and she still couldn't face the untold harm she had done to her family.

So she went back to her to-do list, still worryingly long and it was already dinnertime.

###

The day before the summer fete was extremely busy. Not only did Lily have her hands full with so many guests to cater and keep the house tidy for, but Annie was becoming more and more reliant on her for help with the fete, which, as future Countess of Cranley, was her responsibility to organise.

'Look, it was a huge success last year,' Lily found Sam telling Annie over breakfast. 'It'll be just fine. Try not to make yourself ill over it.'

'But what if it's the last ever fete?' said Annie.

'It won't be,' said Sam. 'Everyone is saying that we've got nothing to worry about regarding the bypass, so try not to worry.'

'But what if it is?' urged Annie.

Sam sighed. 'Then we'll make sure it's the best it has ever been.'

Lily had been busy at work the previous year and had been unable to make the summer fete. At the time, she had been with Mark. She still wondered whether she should be more heartbroken than she really was. She didn't think about him much at all.

But then she barely had time to think about anything these days.

'Have you got any spare towels?' asked Howard the drummer, as she walked up the main staircase and found him walking the other way with only a towel wrapped around his waist. 'I'm sharing a bathroom with Mick and that bugger has nicked all of mine so that he can dye his hair. Natural mahogany my eye.'

'Of course,' she told him briskly, averting her eyes from the topless woman that he had tattooed across his chest.

There was a linen cupboard next to the small staircase leading up to the staff quarters, which she opened up and drew out two more bath towels. She handed them over to Howard.

'Thanks,' he said.

Lily made a note to wash the towels in the guest bathroom quickly if Mick had covered them in hair dye.

But as she went to walk back along the east wing corridor, she noticed Lauren with her ear pressed up against the door to one of the guest bedrooms. This one just happened to belong to Mick, the main singer.

Lauren was so engrossed in eavesdropping that she didn't hear Lily approach and jumped away in shock when Lily came into view.

'I didn't do nothing,' she spluttered as she straightened up.

Lily swiftly took her by the elbow and led her away, into the doorway of the master bedroom, which she knew to be empty.

'Look, I know that the guests are famous but we have to be professional,' she said, in a hushed tone of voice.

'It's just that I grew up listening to their music,' said Lauren, with an excited gleam in her eyes. 'My nan's a huge fan. And now they're here in the same house as me! It's so awesome.'

At that moment, the door to one of the guest bathrooms opened. From their nearby position, they watched as Mick wandered across the corridor to the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

There was a short silence as Lauren turned to look at Lily with huge eyes.

'It's none of our business what they get up to,' Lily told her in a firm voice.

'But—'

'We just have to turn a blind eye and get on with our work.'

'But—'

'They are the guests of the Earl of Cranley and we must respect their privacy.'

'But that was him!' said Lauren, goggle-eyed. 'Stark naked!'

Lily nodded. 'It was, but we still have work to do.'

Lauren also nodded, but Lily wasn't sure if any of her words were sinking in.

Still, she thought, as she ushered the cleaner downstairs and out of the way of any naked rock stars, at least she now knew that all those rumours about Mick's legendary sexual prowess were most definitely true.

The house felt full to capacity that afternoon. In addition to all the extra guests, Rose was hosting a WI gathering in the drawing room and they required constant tea and serviettes for all the cakes being served.

'We must still infiltrate the council, just in case!' Rose was saying, as she paced back and forth and Lily went back in with more serviettes. 'Thank you, Lily.'

'I've heard about that Councillor Jones,' muttered another woman. 'He's a terrible flirt.'

Rose's eyes gleamed. 'Excellent! He'll be powerless against me.'

There was a short silence. 'Don't you think you might be a tad too old for him, dear?' said one of the other women.

'Nonsense!' said Rose, looking affronted. 'Anyway, he'll be no match for me. Now, what shall we use for taping the conversation, because we'll need proof, I assume?'

Lily left them drawing up their battle plans and quietly closed the door.

'Have you seen my grandsons?' asked Arthur, coming into the corridor from his study.

'They're setting up the stalls in the front grounds,' Lily told him.

'Good, good,' said Arthur. But then he wandered out of the patio doors leading to the back garden.

Perhaps she had said back and not front garden by mistake, thought Lily as he walked away. But there were no stalls being set up out the back, and never had been from what she remembered.

She spotted her grandad also heading across the back grounds, and wondered why he was working that day when he never normally did at the weekend.

Turning to look at the front of the hall, she saw that most of the tables had now been set up. There was a stage being organised so that Mick and the band could sing a few songs. Rows of fairy lights were being strung around the trees and candleholders placed everywhere.

She was about to turn back towards the house when she was interrupted by Annie.

'Ah! There you are!' said Annie, rushing across. 'Is there any Sellotape anywhere?'

And so it went on for the rest of the day.

Lily hardly had time to do her own chores, let alone deal with all the queries regarding the fete, which she knew nothing about.

An hour or so later, she answered the front doorbell.

'And who are you?' snapped the short, dark-haired man standing on the doorstep.

Perhaps he was a stallholder who had arrived a day early.

'I'm the housekeeper,' she told him in an imperious tone. 'All queries regarding the fete are to be dealt with by Mr Harris. You'll find him in the grounds. If you require anything else, please do not ring this doorbell again but use the one by the back door for staff.'

'Staff! Me?' The man suddenly cackled with laughter. 'I'm practically bloody family! Annie! Sam! Where the heck are you?'

'What's all the shouting about?' said Mick, coming to stand next to Lily by the front door. 'Oh, it's you, mate!'

'She thinks I'm staff!' shouted the man, pointing the finger at Lily.

'You're not anything but a pain in the neck,' said Mick, before stepping forward to give the stranger a hug. 'You've put on a pound or two, haven't you, chubby?'

'Stress eating,' the man told him, taking a step backwards. 'Mind you, that's nothing compared to your grey hairs.'

'It's being famous again,' said Mick, rubbing his grey sideburns, which he'd missed with the hair dye. 'People wanting money everywhere I look. Vultures, the lot of them.'

'Poor you,' said the stranger in a sympathetic tone. 'You really enjoyed those years being has-beens after all, eh?'

'Turns out, I really did,' said Mick, with a rueful nod of his head.

'So, who is this creature?' The short man turned his laser eye on Lily once more.

'Play nice and don't be a bitch,' said Mick. 'Lily, this is Alex Smith.'

'It's Alessandro these days,' said Alex in a lofty tone.

Lily realised that this must be another house guest. This time it was Alex, the best friend of Sam and Will, who apparently was the interior designer who had made the house look so beautiful during the renovations.

Mick rolled his eyes. 'Well, whatever your name is, you can take this bloody bunting and help me string it up.'

Alex sighed. 'I hate manual labour.'

'Tough,' Mick told him. 'The family are already stressed out and don't need your attitude stinking things up as well.'

'They're stressed?' asked Alex quickly. 'What's up? Is it the baby?'

'Nah, mate. It's the Hall, ain't it?' Mick told him. 'Where have you been these past few days?'

'I've been in Rome decorating some Z-list celebrity's house,' said Alex, with a heavy sigh. 'I'm exhausted and now I just want to enjoy the fete.'

'Especially if it's the last one,' said Mick in a grim tone.

'What are you talking about?' asked Alex, wide-eyed.

'They're talking about razing our beloved Willow Tree Hall to the ground.'

Lily discreetly left Alex staring goggle-eyed at Mick's shocking words. This piece of bad news she was already aware of, unfortunately.

###

By early evening, all the family and guests were exhausted from setting up the fete and had congregated around the large patio table and chairs overlooking the back grounds.

Thankfully for Lily, dinner had only consisted of cold meats, quiches, salads, and lots of bread and potato salad, so she didn't have to worry about cooking a meal. She brought in a second jug of the cocktail she had made, as well as all the plates and cutlery.

'I can bring some of that outside for you,' said Sam, leaping up.

'You're making me feel guilty that we're all resting and you're still working,' Annie told her, frowning.

'It's fine,' said Lily, putting the plates onto the table. 'It's my job.'

'What am I drinking?' said Alex, staring down at his glass in amazement, having taken a sip. 'This is fabulous!'

'Lily made it,' said Rose. 'She's a whizz at cocktails, so I asked her to whip up something for us.'

'Can I taste lemon?' asked Alex.

'It's prosecco, limoncello, frozen raspberries and a leaf or two of mint,' Lily told him.

Alex took another sip. 'It's wonderful. Just right for a summer's evening.'

'The limoncello was from the batch I picked up from a monastery in Tuscany a few years ago,' said Rose, with a dreamy look on her face. 'Does anyone want to know how I managed to seduce a monk?'

'No!' came the resounding shout in response.

'Spoilsports,' said Rose, with a pout.

Lily heard Alex whisper to Rose, 'Tell me later,' giving her a wink of approval.

'I know the fete is tradition but I'd forgotten how full-on it was,' said Will, with a yawn.

Next to him, Skye nodded in agreement but continued to write up price labels in her pretty handwriting.

'That's because you've never done a hard day's work in your life,' said Sam, with a grin.

'Anybody got any energy left to beat up my big brother?' asked Will.

'Better not,' said Mick, also yawning. 'He's gonna make us shedloads of money with our next album.'

'To keep you in the leather-trousered taste that you've become accustomed to?' asked Sam.

'Too right, mate.' Mick nodded. 'We've enjoyed having an actual income this past year.'

'Then you'd better decide what kind of theme you want with this big, fancy album launch of yours,' Sam told him. 'I can't magic decorations out of thin air.'

'We can't decide,' said Mick.

'It's an album of remakes of old country songs,' said Sam, rolling his eyes. 'How hard can it be to just choose something?'

'Yeah, I know.' Mick glanced over at Alex. 'You alright, matey? You're that quiet I thought you'd gone to sleep.'

'I'm OK,' said Alex, but his downcast eyes betrayed him.

'Cheer up,' said Mick, giving him a nudge. 'All's not lost yet.'

'I know,' said Alex. 'I think I'm just too bloomin' sober. Somebody give me another glass of that fabulous cocktail, will you?'

Lily automatically picked up the jug and poured him out another drink.

'Thanks,' he said.

'You could have reached over and done that yourself,' said Sam, shaking his head at his friend.

'Look, please join us,' said Annie, gesturing for Lily to sit down. 'You must be exhausted as well.'

'I'm fine,' said Lily, aware of the fine line between guest and staff. 'You've got a big day tomorrow and I've still got lots to do.'

'What's that smell?' asked Alex, wrinkling up his nose.

Annie had her bare feet up on her husband's lap and Sam was massaging her swollen ankles. 'It's not my feet, if that's what you're hinting at,' she said.

Alex shuddered. 'Please! You'll put me off my prosecco. No, it's floral.'

'It's the cream Eleanor's made for me,' Annie told him. 'It's a whole new range for mums-to-be.'

'Sounds good. Maybe I'll order some,' said Alex.

'What for?' Sam laughed. 'You're not pregnant, are you?'

'A few more of these on an empty stomach and I might be,' said Alex, waggling his empty glass. 'When's dinner? I need something to mop up all this delicious alcohol.'

'We're waiting for Arthur,' said Annie.

'Yes, where is Arthur? I haven't seen him all afternoon,' said Rose, suddenly looking concerned. 'Is he OK?'

'Hold off the search parties,' said Sam, who had stood up as if to check. 'He's coming back across the garden.'

Lily glanced up to where Arthur was making a somewhat unsteady path towards the patio.

'Where have you been, dear?' shouted Rose, making everyone jump.

Arthur looked up and smiled vaguely. 'Just here and there,' he told her, taking a somewhat slow journey up the steps to the patio.

'Here, Grandad, sit down,' said Sam, leaping up to pull out a chair.

'Thank you, my boy,' said Arthur, gratefully taking a seat at the head of the table.

'Are you alright, my dear?' asked Rose. 'You look a little out of it.'

'Probably too much sun,' Arthur told her.

But he didn't expand on that, merely smiling silently around the table at everyone.

Lily headed to the kitchen with the plate of cold meats, and when she came back Arthur had actually fallen asleep in his chair before eating anything.

The mood around the table had darkened somewhat since Arthur's return.

Lily saw Sam and Will exchange a worried look.

'He's probably just tired,' whispered Rose, but even she was frowning and looking concerned.

'Maybe,' said Mick in a low voice, a frown creasing his forehead. 'But that's how the dementia started with my dear old mum.'

'Is there a history of it in the family?' whispered Alex.

Rose shook her head. 'Oh, no. The Harris family have all been very strong mentally.' She looked a little teary.

'Don't you worry yourself, darling,' rasped Mick, giving her a squeeze around the shoulders before pouring her out a large glass of the limoncello cocktail. 'Arthur will be just fine.'

'The other day he couldn't remember having had lunch.' Rose looked upset. 'Maybe it's just the stress hanging over us all at the moment.'

'I'm sure that's all it is,' said Alex, patting her hand.

But the clouds that had gathered slowly to cover up the beautiful sunset appeared to have clouded over the whole table as well.

As she walked back towards the kitchen, Lily was equally concerned. Arthur had been a steady presence throughout her life, especially after the car accident. The thought that he might be unable to carry on his duties was very upsetting.

She just hoped that perhaps the family were wrong with their diagnosis.

###

Jack had been surprised but pleased to receive a text from Sam inviting him to the summer fete at Willow Tree Hall.

Although Jack felt guilty about all the stress he had caused everyone, Sam had insisted that he should come along and that he was still a friend.

'Anyway, we've pretty much forgotten about all that gossip,' Sam had told him.

Out of work and with time on his hands, Jack had done nothing but worry ever since he quit his job.

Jack felt equally ashamed that Sam still considered him a friend when they hadn't seen each other for so many years since school and considering the trouble he had brought to their door. But then again, what did he know about having friends? He didn't need them and he certainly didn't want any.

But the guilt of having laid so much trouble at the doorstep of the Harris family made him accept the offer.

Besides, it had been years since he had last been to the summer fete at Willow Tree Hall. His younger, cynical self had scoffed at what he remembered to be a twee setting and lame carnival-type atmosphere. But standing in the late afternoon sun near the main front door, he had to admit that he had been completely wrong in his expectations and memories.

With Willow Tree Hall as a magnificent backdrop, the fete was spread out across the huge front lawn. The ground was parched and the long, yellowing leaves of the willow tree swayed in a soft breeze with – thankfully – a clear blue sky above.

All around the tree had been placed a vast number of tables, all decked with brightly coloured tablecloths and bunting. The tops of the tables were groaning with homemade goodies. Jack could see jam, cakes, biscuits, toys, drinks, candles and hand lotions all jostling for space.

As well as being full of colour and homemade goods, the place was also packed with families walking around, chatting or lounging on picnic rugs. Many children were holding balloons and had their faces painted.

Laughter filled the air and Jack nodded to himself, pleased that Sam and Annie had done such a good job reviving the traditional village fete.

'Hello!' said Sam, as he headed across the driveway, holding what appeared to be many packets of burger buns. 'You made it!'

'Hi,' said Jack. 'It looks like a good turnout.'

'I think we've even more people than last year,' Sam told him as they began to walk across the gravel towards the many stalls. 'Especially if the amount of barbeque food we've already sold is any indication.'

They carried on across the grass, which was still short and stubby thanks to the lack of recent rain.

'Of course,' continued Sam, 'our popularity could be down to the catering staff I've employed.'

As they neared the long queue in front of the barbeque stall, Jack suddenly understood what Sam was getting at. Cooking sausages for the masses was none other than Tommy King, the multi-award-winning famous singer.

'Here's the last of the sausage buns,' said Sam, placing them on a nearby table. 'Tom! I want to introduce you to my old school friend, Jack. Jack, this is Tommy King, but just plain old Tom the sausage griller to you and me.'

'Hi,' said Tom, reaching out to shake a charcoal-covered hand with Jack.

'Nice to meet you,' said Jack.

'Has anybody got me a beer yet?' asked Tom. 'This cooking lark is thirsty work.'

'Here!' said Will, suddenly appearing with an armful of ice-cold beers. 'Stop your whingeing.'

'Thanks,' said Tom, taking a bottle and having a quick glug before concentrating on his grill once more.

'Hey,' said Will to Jack. 'Glad you made it. Beer for you, too, if you're not driving.'

Jack had a sudden flashback to Will crying in the corridor at school when they were much younger. Sam and Will's parents had been killed in a car accident, the class had been told. Jack remembered that it had involved a drink driver.

'I am driving,' said Jack. 'Unfortunately for me, as an ice-cold beer sounds great in this heat.'

'Well, you can either grab a taxi or stay over, if you like,' said Sam, with a shrug. 'There's plenty of room in the big house. Go on, enjoy a beer with us and stay for the music later.'

'Are you singing?' Jack asked Tom.

'Free catering and now a free gig,' said Tom, with a grin. 'They're getting their money's worth out of me today.'

'The local hospital will be very grateful for the funds raised today, so stop your moaning,' said Will, smiling. 'Some people let fame go completely to their heads. You're such a diva.'

'Who's a diva?' said a short man, coming to stand next to them.

Expecting an overly zealous friendly local, Jack was amazed to realise that it was another classmate from school.

'You are, Alex,' said Sam, before continuing to split open all the burger buns.

'Too right,' said Alex, glancing over at Jack before doing a double take. 'Good God!'

'No, just plain old me,' drawled Jack, with a smile.

'Jack Carter,' said Alex, striding over to stand in front of him. 'I don't believe it. How are you?'

'Good, thanks,' Jack told him, shaking his hand.

'The years have been kind to you,' said Alex, running an appreciative eye over Jack. 'Botox?'

Jack shook his head, laughing. 'No way!'

Alex shrugged his shoulders. 'Don't knock it until you've tried it. I suppose you've heard that I'm ever so famous these days?'

Nearby, Will snorted a laugh. 'For what?'

Alex rolled his eyes. 'As an interior designer, of course! Look what I've done to this place! It's fabulous!' His face suddenly dropped.

Jack was horrified to see Alex's eyes suddenly fill with tears. 'Are you OK?' he said, reaching out to hold Alex's arm.

'Not this again,' said Sam, noting Alex's sad expression with a grimace. 'We'll be alright.'

'Of course we will,' said Alex, with a nod and a shake of his head. 'I'm not crying. It's hay fever. Right, Jack, let's go and get a proper drink. Somebody here's made homemade gin. God, I love the countryside.'

'I was going to drive home,' said Jack.

'We've offered you a room for the night,' called out Sam.

'Perfect!' said Alex, taking his arm. 'You must stay. It's been too many years since we had a proper catch-up. What is it, ten years since we left school?'

'I think you've left a couple of years out from your calculations,' said Will, raising an eyebrow.

'Age is but a number,' Alex snapped back before looking at Jack. 'Come on, what do you say? Stay the night and have a few drinks with the rest of us.'

Jack was surprised to find himself tempted by the offer.

Unfortunately, before he could even make up his mind, everyone had accepted his silence as confirmation.

'Excellent!' said Sam, looking pleased. 'I'll let Annie know you're staying over.'

'Better let your strict housekeeper know as well,' called out Alex over his shoulder, as they began to walk away from the barbeque.

That brought Jack up short. He had temporarily forgotten that Lily was working there. But perhaps as it was the weekend she would be at home. Or even at the fete...

He began to scour the crowds for a flash of dark red hair, but he couldn't see her anywhere.

Whilst they walked, Alex kept up his chatty monologue. 'So, what have you been up to all these years? I must say, those designer jeans look better on you than they did on me when I tried them on last month. If only I had your height. Ah well. What I lack in height, I more than make up for in talent.'

Jack smiled to himself. Alex had barely changed from the motor-mouth personality that he had been at school.

Once they were out of earshot of Sam and Will, Alex's expression darkened again. 'So, tell me,' he whispered, grabbing Jack's arm to stop them walking. 'Is it true? Will my beloved Willow Tree Hall be gone by this time next year?'

'I really hope not,' Jack told him.

Alex made a face. 'That doesn't sound very convincing.'

'I know,' said Jack. 'I just don't trust Eric Thatcher to do the right thing.'

Alex sighed heavily. 'That's fair enough. Nobody blames you, you know. But, God, this whole thing is making me feel wretched. At least you gave us all a bit of warning. Right. I need that gin more than ever.'

As they walked towards a nearby stall, Jack was beginning to realise that it wasn't just the Harris family that was going to be affected. It was the wider circle of friends and family.

Alex had said that nobody blamed him. Was that true? Had he helped by giving them fair warning on Eric's plans?

At that moment, he felt nothing but guilt and no amount of ice-cold beer would help with that.

###

The summer fete almost completely passed Lily by, such was the sheer amount of work that she had to do inside the house.

Arthur had passed her in the entrance hall earlier, asking about his Panama hat.

'I appear to have a small headache that I can't shift today,' he told her. 'I must have overdone the sun yesterday.'

Lily thought back to Arthur falling asleep in his chair at dinner the previous evening.

'At least the weather held fine,' he said, as she handed over the hat that she had found in the drawing room. 'Thank you, my dear. Are you going to join us soon?'

'I'd love to, but there's still so much work to do here,' she told him. 'Hopefully I'll be able to grab a slice of cake later.'

Arthur frowned. 'I'd hate for you to miss the fete. Surely there's nothing that can't wait until tomorrow? Or even the next day?'

'It's fine,' said Lily, but even she found herself staring out of the kitchen window later in the afternoon and admiring all the people wandering around in the summer sunshine.

She thought about finishing early, but then Annie caught her just as she was about to sneak out of the kitchen.

'Phew! It's so warm out there!' said Annie, fanning herself with the fridge door. 'Did you see the dog show earlier? Arthur can't keep giving Dylan a prize every year. It shows favouritism. Eleanor's stall has almost sold out again and she made double the number of products that she did for last year. It's all going so well.'

Lily nodded. 'That's great. Did you manage to talk to the WI about next week's meeting? We were going to move it to Wednesday in future so it doesn't clash with your other duties.'

Annie gave a start. 'Er, well, no, I haven't really had time today.'

'Of course,' Lily told her. 'Not to worry. If I see the chairwoman, I can have a word.'

'Oh! Well, maybe that should be me,' said Annie. 'After all, I'm the future Countess of Cranley.'

'Exactly,' said Lily. 'You've got far too much on your plate to be worrying about that. Right, I'll bring out those prizes, if you like.'

'OK.' Annie's voice was small. 'Thanks. I'll head upstairs first and check the yellow room. We've got an extra guest staying over.'

'I can do that,' said Lily quickly.

'I really don't mind,' Annie told her.

'But it's my job, remember?' said Lily, smiling. 'Who's the extra overnight guest?'

'Jack,' said Annie.

Lily took in a swift breath, but managed to mask it from Annie. 'I see.'

'That won't be a problem, will it?' said Annie, looking concerned. 'Sam was keen that he should stay over and enjoy the music tonight.'

'It's absolutely fine,' Lily told her. 'After all, it's your home, not mine. Of course you can invite anyone you like. Not that Jack is a problem for me. That's all in the past.'

But, as she walked up the stairs, Lily found her stomach clenching. What was Jack doing, agreeing to stay over? What was he playing at, dropping the bomb of the future plans and now being a welcome house guest?

The irritation was mixed in with the confused feelings that seeing him again had whipped up inside her. She didn't want to think about Jack. The past was long buried, but having him around just reminded her of the pain that they had both caused back then.

At least the bedroom was made up already, although she swiftly ran a duster over the furniture as it appeared that Lauren had forgotten to do so – there was a line of dust when she ran a finger along the top.

Afterwards, she headed back downstairs to collect the prizes from the drawing room and finally went outside to join the festivities.

As Lily stepped into the late afternoon sunshine, she realised that it wasn't quite as warm now that the sun had begun to sink lower in the sky. Everything was bathed in the golden light of sunset, the air filled with birdsong and the hum of insects.

She went past the many tables and spotted Lauren manning the cake stall.

'So that's why you couldn't work on Friday,' she said, looking at the half-empty table top. Most of the cakes had already been sold. 'You should have said.'

Lauren blushed and looked guilty. 'Mum said I should sell them if I've made them.'

'You made all of these cakes?' asked Lily in amazement, wondering when she'd had the time.

'I like baking.'

'Have you tried her fairy cakes?' said Megan, coming to stand next to them.

'Not yet,' said Lily.

'Well, you must,' said Megan, reaching out her hands. 'Here. Give those to me. I can take the prizes.'

'But it really should be me,' said Lily, feeling worried about her job.

'Rubbish,' Megan told her. 'You've been stuck inside all day. Come on, have a fairy cake. It's a fete, remember. Everyone has to have cake.'

Not wanting to make a scene, Lily took the proffered fairy cake and bit into it. Instantly, the sweet icing hit the spot.

'Wow, this is good,' she said, smiling at Lauren.

'Better than my cleaning, anyway,' muttered Lauren in reply.

'I'm sure you'll get better at that,' said Lily, smoothly. 'Well, I'll see you at nine o'clock in the morning,' she said. The maid had been late every morning since she had begun work.

Lauren's shoulders slumped. 'Yeah,' she replied.

'Good luck selling the rest of your cakes,' Lily told her and wandered away.

She wolfed down the remainder of the cake as she walked around the stalls. She felt guilty at having some spare time whilst everyone else was so busy, though. Even her dad was selling some of his competition prizes for the tombola.

'Have you had fun?' she asked him when she had finally fought her way through the crowds to get to him.

He nodded. 'I'm shattered now, though. Don't think I've been outside for so long. But when Arthur asked me, I couldn't say no.'

Lily thought it might have done him good to get some fresh air, and wondered whether Arthur had thought the same.

'We miss you at home,' said her dad.

Lily smiled. 'I've only been away for a couple of nights,' she reminded him.

'Your mum won't say, but she's been counting the hours since you've gone,' said her dad.

'Where is she?' asked Lily, looking around.

'Helping switch on the fairy lights,' her dad told her.

As Lily walked away, she watched as the soft lights were switched on as the sun slowly set beyond the horizon. The sky was now darkening, streaked with dark blue and raspberry. In the distance, the first stars appeared.

Lily sighed with disappointment. She had somehow managed to miss most of the fete.

The previous year, everyone had stayed until late in the evening and Sam had announced that they would do the same again this year. So tea lights in jam jars and bottles were also being lit. With the hundreds of fairy lights that were wrapped around the trees and strung from stall to stall switched on, the whole estate was beginning to twinkle and take on a magical, softer feel in the dusk.

As everyone began to gather on the grass for the evening entertainment, Lily leaned up against a tree in the shadows, wondering whether she should get back to the house and finish that day's to-do list.

But, in the end, she decided to stay and watch all the Harris family gather on the makeshift stage. Arthur and Rose gave out the prizes for all the competitions. Will and Skye announced the huge amount of money that had been raised for the local hospital that afternoon, which led to a rousing cheer from the audience.

Finally, Sam and Annie stood hand in hand in front of everyone.

'By now, you'll all know that our future is not quite as secure as it was this time last year,' said Sam. Annie looked a little upset, so her husband put his arm around her as he carried on talking. 'But I want you to know that my family will fight this and any other proposal every step of the way. We're a community and we are a village. But, more than that, we are all family. So, please relax and enjoy tonight's entertainment!' Everyone whooped and cheered at this. 'And now, back by popular demand is our very own local boy, Tommy King, and special guests Hazy Memory!'

This led to another big cheer as Tom and the band all stepped up on stage.

'Hiya,' said Tom, smiling and waving at everyone. 'Are you ready for a singalong?'

With just his guitar, he began to sing a scaled-down version of one of his biggest hits, with the rock band as back-up singers. This got a rousing reception and everyone sang along.

Lily lost track of time for a while as she enjoyed the music. But when she checked the time on her phone, she realised that darkness had fallen and that she really ought to be getting on with her work. She rechecked her lists and was dismayed to see that she had failed to achieve most of what she had wanted to that day.

However, she was pleased that the fete had gone so well and had been such a successful day. Turning to head back to the Hall, she came face to face with Jack, who had been leaning against a tree watching her.

'Hi,' he said, nodding at the stage where the band were still singing. 'Are you not staying for the rest of the show?'

'I've got work to do,' she told him.

He looked up at the sky. 'It's a beautiful night.'

She nodded. 'Yes. I suppose it is.'

'You wouldn't have noticed, having spent the last ten minutes looking at your phone,' he told her.

She scowled at him. 'Apparently we've got some extra guests to cater for tonight, so I need to get myself organised.'

He raised his eyebrows. 'I thought the bed was already made up, according to Annie.'

'It is, but that's really not your concern,' she told him, going around the tree to move away. 'Excuse me.'

'Are you ever going to stop being mad at me?' he said, walking alongside her as she went away from the audience.

'I haven't decided yet,' she replied.

To her surprise, he laughed. 'Fair enough,' he told her.

She glanced at him. He shouldn't still be that good-looking, surely. It wasn't fair. A few tiny lines here and there, but the look of him was making her senses reel.

'What do you want, Jack?' she asked, stopping to spin around and face him.

He took a deep breath. 'To apologise, I suppose,' he said.

'Oh.' It had been the last thing she expected from him. 'Go on, then.'

A smile touched the edges of his lips briefly before he turned serious. 'I'm sorry for the pain that I caused you that evening. I should have broken up with you before the prom, not on the way there. That was wrong of me.'

Her eyes unexpectedly filled with tears. 'It was,' she told him. 'Had you felt that way for a long time?'

He looked away. 'No. I just suddenly knew that you had to follow your path and I was going a different way.'

'I see.' The hurt prickled away inside her until she could bear it no longer. 'Well, thank you for the apology.'

She spun around and rushed away, this time leaving him far behind.

Once she was alone in the house, she rushed upstairs to her bedroom in the staff quarters. She sank onto the bed, trying to keep calm and not cry.

It felt as if they had only just broken up, as if the heartbreak was as fresh as it had been all those years ago.

She had thought that they had been so alike at the time, rebelling against the unfair world. But, of course, they weren't. Jack had something real to rebel against. She hadn't. She had been lucky enough to have a warm and loving family taking care of each other ever since she was born. She had always had a roof over her head. A home full of love. Jack hadn't had any of that.

She sighed. Of course, she was still cross with him about standing her up at the prom. She was also cross that he had agreed to stay the night at Willow Tree Hall, given their history together. In fact, she was cross with him for everything.

Most of all, she was cross with herself that she could remember how good it felt to be kissed by him all those years ago. And how nobody had ever kissed her like that since.

###

The fete had been a huge success. Jack found everyone was in very high spirits when they gathered outside on the patio later that evening.

'We all done good,' said Mick, sounding smug.

Jack nodded in agreement. Both Tom and the band had performed a great set.

But he had found himself distracted for the final hour of the show after his conversation with Lily. At least he'd finally managed to apologise to her for dumping her on the night of the prom. He had always felt so bad about that.

Weary after the long day, most of the family had headed up to bed, leaving just Jack, Sam, Will, Alex and the band having one last nightcap on the terrace.

'The local paper's going to do a full-page spread as well,' said Sam, with a proud look on his face.

'That's great,' Alex told him. 'But that's only local press. You need to get the word out to the nationals.'

'Can you forget about the bypass for one evening?' moaned Sam.

'I'll try,' said Alex, but nobody was convinced by his tone.

'I always forget how beautiful it is here,' said Mick, staring up at the night sky where an almost full moon had just appeared from behind the trees.

Will nodded and yawned. 'It sure is. I'd be watching the meteor shower later if I thought I'd last until midnight.'

Sam nodded. 'I'll be lucky to make it to eleven o'clock.'

'You youngsters are such lightweights,' said Mick, shaking his head sadly. 'When I was your age, I didn't go to bed until the sun was up.'

Jack took a sip of the whiskey that Sam had poured him. 'This is good,' he said, appreciatively. 'Is it grain-based?'

Sam nodded. 'It is. It was a gift from an American guitarist. You know your whiskey, that's for sure.'

Jack shrugged his shoulders. 'I appreciate a fine vintage.'

'It's wasted on this lot,' said Alex, gesturing at the band. 'They'd drink diesel if it came in a glass with some ice.'

'I'll have you know, mate, that I own a vineyard,' said Mick, before frowning as if in deep thought. 'At least, I think I do. Somewhere in Australia.'

'How do you not know whether or not you own a vineyard?' asked Sam, shaking his head in disbelief.

'My accountant said it was a good investment,' said Mick. 'And what do I know about stuff like that?'

'Well, you know how to drink it,' said Sam.

'I'm not sure that's the same as growing grapes,' drawled Will.

'I'm a whatsitsname... a silent partner,' said Mick.

'More like a comatose partner if you keep drinking all your own profits,' said Alex. 'Is it just us then tonight? Not even lovely Rose to keep us company?'

'She was helping Grandad upstairs,' said Will.

'Grandad looked tired,' said Sam, after a short silence.

'It's been a long day,' Will told him quickly. 'Nothing else.'

There was a short silence whilst Alex looked from brother to brother. 'What's going on? I'm sensing tension.'

'We're not sure about Grandad's health,' said Sam.

'Rubbish!' laughed Alex. 'Arthur's as fit as a fiddle.'

'If you say so,' said Will, sounding gloomy.

Jack heard the concern in his voice. As if the Harris family didn't have enough to deal with.

'I think Aunt Rose is going to have a word with him,' said Sam, getting up. 'Sorry, but I think I'll go and check on my wife. It's been a long day.'

'Night, bro,' said Will, standing up to give his brother a quick hug.

'Night, all,' said Sam, giving everyone a nod before going through the French doors and into the main house.

There was a short silence after he'd gone whilst everyone sipped their drinks, deep in thought.

'Well, this is a gloomy old evening considering it was such a good day,' said Mick.

'I agree,' said Will. 'Jack's probably wishing he hadn't bothered staying.'

'It's fine,' said Jack, looking down at his glass. 'Besides, I never would have been able to taste this whiskey otherwise.'

'So, are you lot old friends?' asked Mick, looking around at them.

'We all went to the same school,' said Alex. 'Jack was mean and moody. Sam and Will were the good guys. I was the cool, fashionable one, obviously.'

Jack didn't remember it quite like that. He recalled Alex struggling with his sexuality and being bullied quite a bit for being different. But he just laughed and said, 'Mean and moody?'

'God, yeah!' said Alex, nodding. 'You were always fighting.'

'I suppose.' Jack thought hard. Had he been like that?

'You were,' said Will, with a nod. 'You did love a good scrap.'

'Most of them deserved a good hiding,' said Jack, with a grimace.

'Yes, they did,' agreed Alex, with a shudder. 'They were so snotty, some of those boys. All privileged class, and God forbid you should wear anything different. I was glad to get out of there.'

'Me too,' said Jack.

It was the truth. Jack had excelled in his exams but none of that mattered in the eyes of his school colleagues, who were only interested in where you came from and which bank you would end up working for.

'So, what have you been up to since then?' asked Mick.

'I originally qualified as an electrician,' Jack told him. 'But I've been a property developer salesman for the last ten or so years.'

He shifted in his chair, uncomfortable at where that had led him.

Will studied Jack. 'Out of interest, have you got all your electrician certificates up to date?'

Jack was surprised at the question. 'More or less. I'm missing a couple of years, but I'm still qualified.'

He had always maintained his training in case he ever needed a plan B. If his world ever fell in, he needed to know that he had a safety net.

Like now, he realised, as he was out of a job. He had treated the past couple of weeks like a well-earned holiday, but it was time he thought about where his future lay.

'I suppose you're out of work now that you've walked away from your job,' said Will, tapping his chin in thought.

Jack nodded. 'I'm out of property developing, that's for sure.'

He was pretty certain that Eric would put the word out about him and he would be unlikely to get another job in that field of work. He waited for the pang of regret but it didn't come. Maybe he hadn't enjoyed it as much as he'd thought.

'I don't suppose you'd consider having a look at the barn with me in the morning?' said Will. 'I could do with a quote for getting electricity hooked up to it.'

'Of course,' said Jack, surprised. 'What's it going to be used for?'

'Wedding venue for future renting out,' said Will.

'Everyone wants to get married here after I designed Sam and Annie's fabulous wedding,' said Alex, with a flourish of his hand.

Will raised an eyebrow. 'Excuse me, but I think you'll find that my wife designed most of the wedding, if you're going to steal her thunder.'

'Of course, said Alex quickly, looking horrified. 'You know I wouldn't do that. I love Skye!'

Will nodded. 'I know you do. Sorry, mate. Bit tired and everything. Think I'll go and find my wife. Night, all.'

After Will had left, Alex gave a heavy sigh. 'Everyone's on edge, I guess.'

'And you as well,' said Mick. 'You're all tetchy and stressed.'

'Stressed? I'm a bag of nerves,' said Alex, holding out his hands. 'Look at my nails. Bitten down to the quick and I never bite my nails.'

'You've gotta chill out, man,' Mick told him. 'Be cool.'

'I can't,' snapped Alex. 'I feel, I don't know, out of sorts. Useless.' He gulped. 'Life's hard, you know. My love life is a train wreck and I deal with the worst kind of people at work, fussing over designer this and designer that.' He paused. 'But this place is my constant. If the Hall is here and safe, then no matter what else happens I'm OK. But now I don't know. It's got me all rattled, that's all.'

Sitting next to him, Mick put down his glass and placed a hand around Alex's shoulders. 'Alright, mate,' said Mick, softly. 'Don't get your skirts in a flap. It ain't gonna happen.'

Alex sighed and leaned heavily on his friend for support before drawing himself up straight. 'Of course you're right,' he said, sounding a bit more sure of himself. 'And these must be strange days because I've certainly never said those words before, to you of all people. Now, why are you wearing your leather again when I got you in those lovely suits last year?'

Mick grinned. 'I gotta feel like myself again. All that cotton and silk against the skin, it ain't natural. Not good for the creative juices, you know?'

'I don't like to think about your juices, thank you very much,' said Alex. But he was smiling as he said it. 'And on that disgusting thought, I think I, too, shall go to the land of nod.'

'I'll head up as well,' said Jack, and they bid the band goodnight.

'I guarantee they'll all fall asleep in their chairs and be found first thing in the morning in the same place,' Alex told him as they began to head upstairs.

'They seem nice enough,' said Jack.

'They are,' said Alex. 'But don't tell them I told you so.' He stopped suddenly and turned to face Jack. 'I know you think I'm a ridiculous creature. Most people think so.'

'I don't,' Jack told him, truthfully. 'I never did.'

'Yeah. Thanks.' Alex's shoulders slumped. 'And I'm grateful for that. Truly I am. I just worry for the future, that's all. These people are my family and this feels like my home too.'

'I get it,' Jack told him. 'I just haven't ever felt like that about anywhere.'

'Stay here long enough and you will,' was Alex's warning as they parted ways.

But Jack knew that would never happen. He trusted the Harris family but he still wouldn't let them get too close.

He glanced at the stairs leading to the staff quarters as he turned towards the east wing corridor where his bedroom lay. The thought of Lily sleeping on the floor above him disturbed him for many reasons, all of which he was trying to ignore.

He thought that, once he had said goodbye to her all those years ago, it would be the end of their story.

He had been determined in his decision and had moved on. He had decided to leave her behind when he went to Europe. He had dumped her and, yes, given her a broken heart. It had hurt him to do so, but she was really better off without him.

At least, that's what he had told himself at the time.

The trouble was that no single woman had ever come close to making him feel the way he had with Lily.

###

Lily felt tired and tense at breakfast the following morning.

She had been on edge knowing that Jack was staying in the house and had endured a spectacularly rubbish night's sleep.

And her jitters seemed to set everyone else off as well.

'I'm not sure I finished that cup of coffee, actually,' said Alex, taking the half-full cup from Lily that she had just picked up from the table.

'Oh!' She blushed furiously. 'Sorry. I'm not sure where my mind is this morning.'

'Must be post-fete blues,' said Alex.

But Lily knew it wasn't that. It was Jack's presence in the kitchen, the way he was staring at her from across the table. She could feel his cool eyes watching her as she moved around. It was awful.

Even when she went to empty the kitchen bin outside, she found that Jack was sitting on the bench with Arthur, who was feeding small bits of toast to the dog.

'It's getting a bit chilly in the mornings now,' Arthur was saying. 'I must get my big coat out before autumn arrives.'

'Then let's head indoors,' Jack told him, standing up.

But Arthur shook his head. 'Our good lady housekeeper here says that Dylan can bring in a bit of a mess. So it's probably best we eat out here.'

Jack frowned. 'It's your house,' he said, flicking a hard stare at Lily.

In the end, it was all so awkward that Lily made her excuses and went to find Lauren to start cleaning up after all their house guests. The trouble was that there were so many people staying over she was tripping over them.

The drawing room was full of musicians lounging around. Sam's and Arthur's studies appeared to have an open-door policy and everyone was just coming and going. There was no routine and nothing that she could get a handle on. Her to-do list was raging out of control and her stress-filled stomach made her feel worse than ever. There was so much pressure on her that she thought she would explode very soon. But she kept her feelings to herself, as usual, and soldiered on.

She was somewhat grateful when Alex and the band left. But that still left Jack hanging around, although she didn't know why.

On the stairs later that morning, she watched Will walk across the entrance hall with Jack, having come from the grounds at the back of the house. Wiping down the balustrade, she could hear every word.

'The stables are now almost full with small businesses,' she heard Will say. 'That definitely needs rewiring. And then there's the barn on top of that.'

Lily peeped through the staircase and saw Jack nodding thoughtfully.

'We can't pay you loads,' added Will. 'You've seen how tight things are around here. But we could pay the going rate.'

'You know what? Don't pay me at all,' said Jack.

'I don't know about that,' began Will.

'I do.' Jack folded his arms across his chest. 'Listen, I've done alright for myself. I've got more than enough to tide me over for a while. Savings and all that. Let me do this for the family.'

'Then you must stay here for free, if you'd like to,' Will told him. 'We can't let you do the whole lot for free.'

'I've got a house just down the road, you know,' said Jack, grinning. 'That'll do just fine.'

This surprised Lily. She didn't think he even used the place from what she'd heard.

'None of this is your fault,' Will replied. 'If you hadn't come here, it would have been someone else. You were just doing your job. I'm sorry you lost yours, though.'

'I'm not,' she heard Jack say. 'This whole episode has made me rethink my priorities.'

Will smiled. 'I had a similar thing happen to me last year. So, what do you say? Would you like to help us out?'

Jack nodded. 'Yeah. Just until the job is done.'

'Excellent.' Will slapped him on the shoulder. 'Let's go and tell Sam. He'll be pleased.'

Lily watched them disappear into the west wing corridor and sat down on the top step of the huge staircase. Jack was going to work there? How long for? And how on earth was she going to handle that?

'You OK?'

With a start, Lily looked up and saw Annie staring down at her.

'I really don't know,' said Lily, the shock making her speak the truth for once.

'What's the matter?' Annie eased herself down onto the top step to sit next to Lily.

Lily hesitated before she spoke. Surely it wasn't a big secret? 'Will's just invited Jack to stay on for a while. I think he's going to be working on the electrics for the barn.'

'That's great.' Annie's face lit up. 'That means we can finally go ahead and start to hire it out. Although who knows who's going to handle those bookings on top of everything else?' Then she looked at Lily. 'Is this a problem for you?'

'It doesn't matter,' she said. 'That's all ancient history.'

'If you say so,' said Annie. 'Look, I know it might be awkward, but perhaps seeing him every day will help you two work out whatever it was that happened. Maybe you can get to know each other again.'

'I know everything I need to about Jack Carter.' Lily suddenly realised that she was being terribly unprofessional. 'It's OK. It's really nothing for you to worry about.'

She stood up and helped Annie to stand up as well.

'Are you sure you're OK with this?' asked Annie, rubbing her baby bump.

'Absolutely,' Lily told her.

Except she wasn't. And it sent her into even more of a frenzy that day. She was determined to be a professional, to keep her job, and to be there long after Jack left.

Having slept badly, she found her patience almost at breaking point later that afternoon when Lauren broke yet another glass with her clumsiness.

'I can't do this!' wailed Lauren.

Lily took a deep breath. 'Yes, you can. But you must be more careful.'

'No! I can't. I'm really trying!'

'Can't you just try a little harder not to break everything in sight?' snapped Lily, losing her patience.

Lauren burst into tears. 'I can't deal with this. I quit!'

Lily was horrified. 'No, look...'

'I'm out of here,' cried Lauren. 'It's too much.'

'I'm sorry,' began Lily, but she could only watch in dismay as Lauren rushed out of the front door in tears. Of course, being Lauren, she managed to catch the hat stand as she went past and sent everything crashing to the floor.

Not knowing what else to do, Lily went over to the front door and closed it before picking up all the coats and umbrellas strewn across the floor.

Well, it appears as if I'm going to have to find another maid, she thought to herself. And it was all her fault. What on earth was she going to tell Megan? And Annie?

She was failing at the job that she so desperately wanted to keep.

###

Jack overheard the raised voices as he came out of the kitchen.

Recognising Lily's voice, strained and loud, he headed around the corner into the entrance hall, where he found her straightening up the hat stand, which had somehow fallen onto the floor.

'Hey,' he said. 'What's going on?'

Lily scowled at him as she straightened up. 'Nothing,' she snapped. 'What can I do for you?'

He laughed at her haughty tone. 'Well, I certainly don't need a maid. Or a housekeeper, come to think of it. Certainly not one like you.'

She gave a start. 'What's that supposed to mean?'

'You need to chill out,' he told her. 'Don't you realise how on edge you make everyone? Nobody can relax with you around.'

'That's not true,' she told him, her cheeks heating up.

'Arthur's eating outside because you won't let his dog into the house!' said Jack. 'Nobody else can rest because you're constantly fussing and running around them.'

Lily frowned. 'I have things that need to be done, that's all. It's my job!'

'Rubbish,' he said. 'I've heard all about your lists. You're not living any kind of life except by the book. "My list of things to do today", by Lily Harper!'

He shook his head. Whatever had happened to make her so different from the young, spirited girl he had once known?

'I'm doing whatever I think necessary to hide myself from any more hurt,' she hissed at him. 'Haven't I been through enough?'

'You're just so stiff,' he told her. 'That red hair is supposed to mean fire, you know.'

She put her hands on her hips. 'No, it just means that I need factor 50 on my skin at all times.'

He shook his head. 'Have you smothered your soul in it as well?'

She gave a start. 'My what?'

'You're frozen. Cold,' he told her. 'Like a robot.'

He realised he had gone too far as he watched her reaction. The blush quickly faded from her cheeks as she stared at him in horror.

Then she pushed past him, away down the corridor.

Too late, he realised that she looked just the same from the back as she had done all those years ago. Long-legged, red hair swinging behind her as she went.

She was still the girl that he hadn't taken to the prom on the worst day of his life. One of many he had endured.

He'd run away from her and everyone. And he hadn't stopped running since.

And he had just hurt Lily as much as he had done all those years ago.

*

Lily rushed into the kitchen, shocked at what Jack had just said to her.

He had called her a robot. Just like Mark had done. Were they right? Was it true?

Seeing Annie at the table, Lily quickly brushed the tears from her cheeks. But Annie didn't even realise how upset her housekeeper was. Instead, she was staring at her mobile, which was shaking in her hand.

'I don't believe it! What have you done?' she was saying, looking up at Lily and holding out the phone for her to take.

'Me?' said Lily, confused. 'I don't understand. What is this?'

Lily looked down at the screen at what appeared to be an email.

'Somebody has sent their RSVP,' said Annie, still sounding shocked. 'All the rest of the emails have also been received, apparently.'

'Oh, I see! This is for the album launch,' said Lily, finally understanding as she read the words 'Hazy Memory's new album, Down Memory Lane'. 'Well, that's good, isn't it?'

'No!' Annie's eyes were huge. 'No! It's not good! Look at them! Look at where it says it's being held!'

Lily looked down at the party invite once more and gasped as she read the final paragraph. 'Oh no!'

'What were you thinking?' said Annie.

At the bottom of the invitation was the venue information. And it was listed at being held at Willow Tree Hall.

Lily was horrified. She must have absent-mindedly put in the wrong venue at some point. Maybe she had been thinking about the summer fete instead of the fancy London hotel where it was due to be held.

'I told you I could handle it!' said Annie, bursting into tears. 'Why did you take over?'

'I'm really sorry,' Lily told her, feeling awful.

'We can't have the launch here!'

'I know!' said Lily, aghast. 'I'll sort this out, I promise.'

'How?' Annie sounded borderline hysterical. 'The invitations have already gone out. People will think we're a total mess if we change the venue.' Annie took a deep intake of breath and clutched at her stomach. 'We can't have the launch here,' she repeated before pausing. 'I'm having a baby.'

'I know,' Lily told her. 'Look, I'll get it sorted...'

'No,' cried Annie, staring at her. 'I mean, I think I'm having the baby right now!'

She groaned and clutched at her stomach.

'Is it a contraction?' asked Lily.

'It must be the shock,' wailed Annie, looking upset. 'The baby's come a month early!'

They stared at each other for a second before Lily burst into action. 'Right,' she said, bringing out her phone. 'I'll dial 999 first. Then Sam.'

Feeling calm despite the situation, she quickly dialled the emergency services.

'Ambulance, please!' she said, nestling the phone under her neck as she swiftly went back across to Annie and gently helped her into a chair.

After giving the address and details to the paramedic crew, she dialled Sam's number and told him what was going on.

'He's on his way,' she told Annie, putting her phone down. 'He was only in the village.'

'I can't do this,' said Annie. 'Oh, God, I can't remember anything.'

'You don't need to,' Lily told her. 'The ambulance will be here soon. I'll grab your birthing bag, just in case.'

'It's all upstairs,' said Annie, wide-eyed and panicked.

Lily shook her head. 'I made a spare bag just in case, remember? It's by the front door.'

'Oh! OK.'

'Get breathing,' Lily told her.

But Annie had got up from the seat. 'I can't settle,' she said, pacing up and down. 'Do you think the baby will be alright? Why is it so early? Where's Sam? He can't miss this!'

'You just need to focus on your exercises,' Lily told her in a calm tone. 'Look, here's the technique. We'll breathe together, OK?'

She managed to keep Annie focused on the breathing technique until Sam's Range Rover roared down the driveway at breakneck speed before skidding to a halt outside the kitchen window.

'Annie!' he cried, rushing through the back door and across the room before taking her in his arms. 'Are you OK?'

'I'm having the baby a month early,' his wife said, sobbing and holding her stomach. 'That's bad, isn't it?'

'Is the ambulance on its way?' asked Sam, looking at Lily with worried eyes.

'Yes,' she told him. 'There's nothing to worry about.'

But Lily stood by the window anyway, praying and hoping for any sign that the ambulance would come shortly.

'Maybe the hospital got the dates wrong,' she heard Sam trying to reassure his wife.

Annie shook her head. 'I think it was the shock,' she said, grabbing her phone and thrusting it at her husband. 'Look at the venue! Look what Lily's done!'

Lily gulped and hung her head in shame. She should have left it alone. She should have trusted Annie. But she had taken over and made a mess of everything.

Sam quickly scanned the invitation, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise as he read the final few lines.

Then he stuffed her phone into the pocket of his shorts. 'It doesn't matter now,' he told her. 'All that matters is you and the baby.'

Lily was relieved that the ambulance arrived soon afterwards.

The paramedics quickly checked Annie over. Her blood pressure was low and she was dehydrated, they told her. So it was decided that she should head to the hospital to get checked over.

As they helped Annie into the back of the ambulance, Lily thrust the spare birthing bag at Sam.

'Here you are,' she said. 'Just in case.'

But Sam seemed to be in just as much shock as Annie.

'Good luck!' called out Lily as the doors closed.

But nobody replied. She didn't blame them. She'd hurt Annie and may have even caused her baby to come early.

She had mucked everything up. The maid had left. She had upset everyone. She'd lose her job and then she couldn't support her family either.

It was a disaster. She was a disaster. For all her planning and back-up plans, nothing had gone right.

She couldn't do anything right. Jack was right. She had turned into a robot, and yet she couldn't handle any of it.

Feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and wretched, she rushed out of the kitchen and into the grounds at the back of the house.

###

Jack was feeling incredibly guilty about the way he had talked to Lily. She had obviously been very upset.

He had instantly regretted his words about her being cold and unfeeling. Surely that was him, not her? But the change in her during their absent years continued to shock him and, in the end, he had been unable to stop himself from speaking out.

He had watched in dismay as she had rushed out. He was thinking about whether to follow her, when he saw Sam hurtle up the driveway at a mad speed a few minutes later.

Once Jack discovered that Annie was possibly in early labour, he spent the next hour running around gathering up all the family from around the grounds to let them know what was going on. After the Harris family had left to go en masse to the hospital, it was just Jack left behind in the empty house.

He checked in every room but all was silent. It was strange to be in the hall without anyone around. He realised how much life the family brought to the place when they were around. The chatter, the laughter: it was all missing and he didn't like it.

He also didn't like the fact that Lily was not inside the Hall either. She was normally so on the ball with what was going on that he started to feel concerned about her.

Feeling worried, he headed through the French doors at the back of the entrance hall and onto the patio. At some point, the sun had begun to sink lower towards the horizon and a cool wind was blowing across the grass.

He looked across the huge grounds before he was able to spot Bert, who was walking up towards the house, his hands full of tomatoes. Perhaps she had gone to find her grandfather, as her car was still parked at the front of the house.

Jack went forward to meet him. 'Hi,' he said, clearing his throat. Bert always made him feel like a naughty schoolchild and about ten years old.

Bert didn't reply, merely nodding his assent that he had heard him and continuing on his path towards the Hall, but Jack stopped him.

'Have you seen Lily?' he asked.

Bert shook his head. 'Been in the vegetable garden.'

'Annie's gone into early labour,' Jack told him. 'The family have all gone to the hospital.'

'She's probably gone with them, then.'

'No, she didn't go. But I can't find her in the house at all.' Jack shuffled from foot to foot. 'She was a bit upset about something and I thought she might have come and found you.'

'Upset?' Bert finally looked at him. 'What's the matter with her?'

'We just had words, that's all.' Jack looked away from Bert's unswerving gaze. 'Have you got her phone number?'

'I don't have no phone.'

Jack thought hard. 'Anyway, I thought perhaps she might have headed towards the garden.'

Bert shook his head. 'I never saw her.'

Jack was silent for a beat. 'Do you think she might go into your shed to wait for you?'

The older man stiffened. 'She wouldn't go in there.'

'Why not?' asked Jack.

'Because I told her she shouldn't.'

Jack had a brief memory of a younger Lily, wild and stubborn, hating to be told what she could and couldn't do.

'But if she's upset maybe she forgot that you'd warned her,' said Jack.

Bert frowned and didn't reply.

'Is there a chance she could be trapped in there?' asked Jack, thinking out loud. 'I thought I saw a lock on the outside when Will and I passed by there earlier.'

Bert took in a sharp breath. 'It should be locked. Nobody should be going in there. I'll go and check.'

'I'll come with you.'

Bert hesitated, making Jack wonder what on earth was making him so secretive.

'Look,' Jack told him, 'it's a relatively warm day. She could be trapped in there without anything to drink. We need to make sure your granddaughter is OK.'

Bert gulped. 'She'll have something to drink,' he muttered, before looking up at Jack in horror.

'What are you talking about?' asked Jack.

But Bert had quickly deposited his tomatoes onto the ground and was now walking quicker than Jack had ever seen him, half running in his haste to get to the shed now.

'We can't tell her mother about this,' he said, puffing at the speed of his exertion.

'About what?' asked Jack, keeping pace with him. 'I don't understand.'

They reached the shed and Bert swore under his breath. Jack glanced down and saw that the lock was open and the door slightly ajar.

Bert flung open the door and rushed in. Jack quickly followed him inside and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dark gloom of the large shed. Thankfully, the low sun was shining through the small window, enabling him to see.

It was hot and stuffy inside, but where Jack had been expecting tools and all the equipment required for tending the vegetable patch, he saw some kind of chemical experiment instead.

Three large metal containers were lined up in a row. One looked like a hot water tank with a pipe leading into a wide copper vat. On a nearby table were lots of potato peelings and what looked like mash. The whole air smelt of vegetables and alcohol.

'What is all this?' asked Jack, stepping forward.

Then they heard the sniffing of someone upset nearby.

Jack quickly ran around the back of the table and there was Lily, tear-stained and curled up in a ball on the floor of the shed.

'Hey,' said Jack, crouching down in front of her. 'Are you OK?'

She looked up at him with red eyes, wiping her wet cheeks with her hand. Staying silent, she glanced over his shoulder and up at her grandfather.

'There's my girl,' said Bert, looking relieved. 'You alright, love?'

She gave her grandad a teary smile. But as she reached out for him an empty bottle rolled out from her hand.

Bert suddenly looked horrified. 'You drank some of it?'

Lily gave an unexpected giggle at which point Jack realised she was actually quite drunk. 'Little bit,' she slurred, with another giggle.

'What is this stuff?' asked Jack, taking the empty bottle and sniffing it. It was strong alcohol. Or it had been.

'Was it a full bottle?' asked Bert, leaning forward to stare in horror at his granddaughter.

Lily looked cross-eyed as she shook her head. 'Just a couple of swigs, Grandad,' she told him.

Bert sighed with what Jack guessed was relief. 'Thank God,' he murmured. 'It's too strong for you.' He looked across at Jack. 'Her mother can't find out about this.'

'About what?' Jack straightened up and walked over to where some wine bottles and jam jars were lined up in the sun on a table. He took a sniff at the cloudy liquid inside. 'What is all this?'

Finally Bert muttered something that Jack couldn't catch.

'Say that again?' said Jack.

'It's moonshine.'

Quickly, Jack glanced around the shed and it all began to make sense. The bag of potatoes. The large vat of liquid. The refilled wine bottles.

'How strong is it?' he asked.

Jack had read up about moonshine and how it could be almost 100 per cent proof in some cases.

'Very,' said Bert, looking downcast. 'You don't need to drink much of the stuff to get into trouble.'

Jack glanced across at Lily in horror. She watched him with wide eyes, wrapping her arms around her, as if to protect herself from more hurtful comments from Jack.

'I can't believe you left this stuff around for anyone to find,' said Jack.

'We didn't,' Bert told him. 'We were very careful. The door is always locked.'

'We?' repeated Jack. 'Who's we?'

Bert pressed his lips together. 'Me and Arthur.'

It all began to make sense. Arthur disappearing in the afternoon and then returning somewhat hazy. If he had drunk some of the stuff, then it could be lethal.

But Jack didn't have time to worry about that now, because Bert was staring at something else on the table. A couple of glass jars had the sun directly on them and a ray of light was shining through one of the empty jars and onto the rickety wooden table top. A tiny stream of smoke was rising up to the wooden roof.

Before Jack had a chance to act, the smoke suddenly became thicker and was quickly followed by a small flame whooshing into life.

Jack looked along the counter to where the wine bottles held more of the liquid.

'Is that moonshine as well?' he asked.

Before Bert had time to answer, the flame grew bigger and dangerously close to the bottles of alcohol.

Jack looked around, but there was nothing suitable nearby to throw over the flame and put it out.

'Get out of here!' he shouted at Bert, rushing over to where Lily was looking up at them both in a drunken haze.

Not waiting to explain, Jack picked her up and rushed towards the door. Flames were beginning to lick along the table as the fire took hold.

Still holding Lily in his arms, Jack ran outside and out of danger. Finally standing her up, Jack turned around but, to his dismay, Bert was nowhere to be seen.

'Stay there!' he shouted at Lily, who was swaying on the grass. 'Do not even think about moving!'

He ran back towards the shed, where he could see to his horror that flames were now licking the sides.

'Bert!' he shouted, peering inside.

Through the smoke he could see the older man trying to pick up the last remaining bottles from the only table that wasn't on fire.

'Leave it!' shouted Jack. 'The whole place is going to go up.'

Not waiting for an answer, he grabbed Bert around the waist and rushed the man out of the shed.

They were only a few metres away outside when there was a loud whoomph from inside and the unmistakeable sound of a crackling fire could be heard.

Still holding onto Bert with one hand, he grabbed Lily's hand with his other as they rushed past and carried on running.

Moving in a blind panic, Jack went around the corner of the high wall surrounding the edge of the vegetable garden and through a wooden gate. They had just reached the shelter of some trees when there was an explosion behind them.

They all stopped running and stared as the shed went up in flames, sending black smoke up into the sky.

Jack and Bert looked at each other in horror.

'She could have died!' said Jack, glancing at Lily, who appeared to have hardly taken any of it in.

'We could have died too!' said Bert.

'Unbelievable,' said Jack, shaking his head. 'Oh, and by the way, I think there's fat chance of your daughter-in-law not finding out about this now.'

'I think you could be right, son,' said Bert with a sigh as he watched Jack bring out his mobile to dial 999 for the fire brigade.

###

Jack stood nearby as the paramedics checked out both Lily and her grandfather.

Thankfully, they had survived the exploding shed. Lily didn't need her stomach pumped, apparently, just an awful lot of sobering up from the illegal moonshine.

However, Bert's blood pressure was giving some cause for concern, as was the smoke inhalation he had endured. He took off his oxygen mask briefly to speak to Jack.

'That there explosion is nothing compared to what's coming across that grass, lad,' muttered Bert, looking over Jack's shoulder.

Jack turned to see Lily's mother striding towards them.

Bert grunted. 'There's about to be a lot of shouting.'

Jack grimaced. He remembered Lily's mother's disdain from many years ago when he had appeared to take her daughter to the prom. He immediately braced himself for the worst as she reached them.

But to his surprise, she was almost calm.

'Are you alright?' she said, checking her father-in-law over with her eyes. 'How's your heart? Is the smoke inhalation bad?'

'You know about the fire?' asked Bert.

'Of course I know about the fire!' snapped Lily's mother, briefly flaring into anger. 'The whole village knows! Mavis Cartwright phoned me half an hour ago to inform me that you have both been saved from a serious fire! Where's my daughter?'

'She's fine,' Jack told her, pointing nearby. 'Although a little drunk. She's over there.'

'What on earth happened?' asked Lily's mum.

Jack locked eyes with Bert before making to walk away and check on Lily. He thought this conversation was better off without his input.

But Lily's mother grabbed Jack's arm as he went to leave. 'Well?' she asked. 'What have you done to my family this time?'

Jack wanted to walk away but didn't want to shake off her firm grip on his arm.

'That's enough!' snapped Bert, finally coming to life.

'It doesn't matter,' muttered Jack, thinking that it was probably best that he just get out of there and leave the family to it. He was used to getting the blame for everything from the old days of living in the village. This would be no different.

But he still didn't want to shrug off her hand on his arm.

'It's not his fault.'

They turned to look at Bert, who took a deep but shaky breath. 'It's my fault. There was something in the shed that oughtn't to have been there.'

'Poison?' gasped Lily's mother, letting go of Jack's arm to clutch her chest. 'Drugs?'

Bert rolled his eyes. 'None of that. Just a homemade brew.'

Celia looked confused. 'A what?'

'Moonshine,' Bert told her, after a beat.

'Moonshine! Homemade! By whom?' Her mother glared at Jack once more.

'Made by me,' said Bert. 'Arthur and I were experimenting.'

Her mother crossed herself. 'Dear lord! And what about the fire? Were you going to burn down Willow Tree Hall as well?'

'That was an accident!' said Bert.

'Caused by illegal alcohol!' Celia was about to carry on ranting when Lily wandered up to them.

'Hello, Mummy,' she said, with a drunken smile.

'Darling!' said her mother, giving her a hug before checking her over. She smoothed down her daughter's hair before rubbing some soot from her cheek. 'Are you alright?'

'Jus' lovely,' mumbled Lily, still quite drunk.

Celia drew in a long breath. 'She's very pale.'

'It was pretty strong stuff, but the paramedic said she'll be fine once she's slept it off,' Jack told her. 'Although she's likely to have one hell of a headache in the morning.'

'Well, the smoke won't help either,' said Celia. She looked at Jack. 'So you were just passing by?'

'I was in the house.'

'He saved our lives,' Bert told her. 'Carried our girl out of the blaze in the shed and then rushed back in and got me as well. Without him...' His voice trailed off.

Her mother looked horrified. 'You could have both died,' she whispered.

'But we didn't,' Bert told her. He suddenly looked very tired and put his oxygen mask back on.

'I don't know what you and Arthur were thinking of,' said Celia, teary and upset. 'You're an absolute disgrace! Right. Apparently, you get a free ride in an ambulance because of your actions. They need to get you checked out at the hospital.'

Thinking that he was best away from all the family drama, Jack gave Bert a nod and began to move away, but Celia grabbed his arm again.

He braced himself for more of her anger, but it never came. Instead she said, 'Thank you. My father-in-law and daughter would probably both be dead if it weren't for you.'

Jack was surprised at her words. 'I'm sure it wouldn't have come to that,' he replied.

Celia shook her head. 'You won't allow me to thank you for saving their lives?'

He gave a shrug, embarrassed. 'Anyone would have done the same.'

She looked at him. 'Depends whether they're as brave or as quick-thinking. I'm guessing a lot of people would be neither.' She hesitated. 'I hate to impose further and be more in your debt, but I need to go with Bert to the hospital and I'm not sure how long I'll be.' She glanced over his shoulder to where Lily was still standing, looking dazed and pale. 'I don't want to worry her father, you see. I'm not sure how well he'd cope. But she shouldn't be alone. So I was wondering...'

'I can take her home with me, if you want,' said Jack, guessing what she was hinting at.

'Thank you.' She looked relieved. 'Richard never quite recovered from the accident, you know.' She looked around suddenly in realisation. 'We met in this orchard, actually. A very long time ago.'

Jack glanced around and realised that they were indeed standing amongst long rows of trees, all laden with apples.

'Look,' he told her, 'I'll try and get Lily to drink some coffee and eat something before she passes out. I can give you my phone number if you want to check on how she is later.'

'Thank you,' said Celia, looking relieved.

Jack paused a beat before saying, 'You can trust me with her.'

Celia looked surprised. 'Of course I can. I think she's too drunk to realise at the minute, but I'll make sure she knows who she needs to thank for keeping her home safe. And I won't forget, either.'

Jack gave a shrug. 'It doesn't matter.'

'Yes, it does. You care for her, don't you?'

He took a deep breath at her unexpected words. 'I always did,' he said eventually. 'But I was too messed up to see a good thing when it came along.'

'Perhaps you've got a second chance,' she told him.

He smiled. 'I'm not so sure your daughter would see it that way. Well, let's exchange mobile numbers.'

As Celia and Bert left in the ambulance, Jack helped Lily towards Willow Tree Hall, beyond which his car was parked in the driveway. The house was in darkness. He presumed they were all still at the hospital. But for once he was grateful not to have the family nearby.

He managed to open the car door and deposit Lily on the passenger seat. She made a half-hearted effort to get up, but he gently pushed her back down.

It was then that he registered that she was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and a thin T-shirt. And that she was shivering in the cool night air. He grabbed a sweatshirt from the back seat and gave it to her.

'Put this on,' he ordered, before shutting the door and going round to the driver's side.

She had managed to pull it over her head by the time he was behind the steering wheel.

'Buckle up, Miss Harper,' he said, reaching across her to fasten her seatbelt. 'Right,' he said, turning the key and roaring the engine into life. 'Let's go.'

'This is abduction,' she said softly.

But by the time they had reached the traffic lights at the end of the road, she had closed her eyes and had fallen asleep.

The journey back home was quick and, very soon, he had pulled up in front of his house.

A soft sigh caused him to look over at Lily, who was slowly waking up now that the engine was switched off.

'Where are we?' she said wearily, rubbing her eyes.

'My place,' he told her. 'Come on. Let's get you inside.'

###

Lily wondered whether she was hallucinating.

She had been upset. Drank some disgusting-tasting alcohol to numb the pain of the day. Then her grandad and Jack had appeared. Some kind of explosion. And now she appeared to be in Jack's empty house.

Not entirely empty, she realised. At least it had furniture.

She walked across the oak floorboards of the huge lounge. She felt groggy with a thumping headache.

But even in her drunken haze, there was no denying that Jack's house was glorious, if a little lacking in any personal touches. It felt modern and glamorous. And yet there were no photographs and no ornaments: nothing to distinguish it from anyone else's home. It had lovely furniture, but there was little else.

Perhaps he didn't need anything else when the view was so incredible. She watched Jack slide open the tri-fold windows so that the whole front wall of the house had now disappeared and there was only the moonlight shining down onto the river nearby.

'Mmmm,' she said, collapsing onto a white-cushioned sofa.

'Are you hungry?' asked Jack, staring down at her as he handed her a mug of steaming hot black coffee.

Lily shook her head, which made the room spin. She hurriedly put down the coffee in case she spilt it on the white sofa.

'I think you probably need to get into bed so you can sleep it off,' he said, leaning forward to replace her coffee with a glass of water. 'Drink this instead, if you don't want the coffee.'

'When did you move back in here?' she asked, with a yawn.

'Drink your water.'

'You're changing the subject,' she muttered, before taking a sip.

'My house, my rules.' He softened his words with a small smile.

She stifled another yawn as she sank back onto the cushions, overwhelmed with fatigue.

Jack quickly stood up to move around the coffee table. 'You're going to feel horrible tomorrow,' he told her. 'The quicker I get you into bed the better.'

Lily smiled as the double meaning of his words hit him and he shook his head in dismay.

'It's OK,' she found herself saying. 'I trust you.'

Jack reached out and gently lifted Lily into his arms. It was the second time in as many hours that he had held her like this. He wondered whether he would ever carry her in that way again, and found himself aching inside at the thought that he might not.

He took her upstairs and into the master bedroom, which overlooked the river. He laid her down on the bed before drawing the curtains.

He looked back to where she lay, looking tiny and fragile in the middle of the large bed.

His main problem at that moment was that Lily being placed in danger had stirred up all kinds of emotions inside him, none of which he wanted to acknowledge. He didn't care. And yet, he hated to admit to himself that he did.

'You don't have to take care of me,' she murmured, half asleep.

'Yes, I do,' he replied, drawing the duvet over her so that she was covered.

He thought she had gone to sleep when, suddenly, she sat bolt upright. 'I'm not a robot!' she said, in a cross tone. 'People love me, you know. I'm warm. And, you know, not a thingy. Robot!'

He was surprised and a little pleased to find feisty Lily Harper back in front of him after all these years.

She reached out and grabbed his T-shirt, pulling him close to her face. 'I'm a nice person,' she told him. 'People like me.'

'Do they?' he said, softly.

'Yeah!' she said.

Up close, her eyes were emerald green. He looked into them until she slumped back onto the pillows and closed her eyes.

He sat on the side of the bed, watching her. Why was he doing this?

Yes, Lily was beautiful and intelligent. She had always been a good person with a kind heart. Whatever had happened to her in the intervening years when they had been apart?

And why did he care so much? Commitment was for other people.

His father had proved that. He hadn't been able to commit to either his wife or his son. And then Jack's mother had abandoned him at the age of four. If he had inherited anything from either of his birth parents, it was an inability to trust anyone. Even blood relatives.

No, it was best to keep things casual. Not to get involved. Of course, he had daydreamed about having a family, but those fantasies were exactly that. Not real.

But then he realised he was involved with Lily Harper even after all these years.

And the thought absolutely terrified him.

*

It was the same nightmare that Lily had suffered from intermittently for years. The sense that the car was going to crash and that she couldn't escape.

Normally, she woke with a start, sweaty and struggling to breathe. But this time, as well as the usual symptoms, she found she couldn't move either.

Then she realised that she was in the iron grip of Jack's strong arms.

'You're alright,' he was murmuring in a soft tone. 'I've got you. You're safe. It's OK.'

Gradually, the fog of the nightmare and sleep began to lift and she realised where she was. In Jack's bed.

And the man himself was lying down next to her, holding her close against him.

'You're OK,' he repeated.

Lily wasn't so sure. Yes, the nightmare was just that, but this was real. Lying in Jack's arms in his bed was very much real. Almost too much for her to bear.

She slowly struggled to sit up and he finally released his hold on her. She reached out for the glass of water that he must have placed on the bedside cabinet at some point.

The glass shook in her trembling hand, but she was grateful for the cool water as she gulped it down.

Finally, she turned to look down at Jack, who was still lying on his back on the bed. In the soft light of the bedroom, she could see that he had changed into a tight-fitting grey T-shirt that was nothing to help her racing pulse calm down. The soft cotton shorts he was wearing stopped just above his knee, showing off long, muscular legs.

Her throat was dry again, so she took another drink of water.

'Was it a nightmare?' he asked, turning onto his side and propping up his head with his hand.

Lily leaned back against the pillows with a soft sigh. 'The usual one.'

'Car crash?' he said, gently.

She was surprised he had guessed, but nodded her reply. She couldn't stop herself nodding or biting her lip to hold back the sudden tears that filled her eyes. She was just drunk, that was all.

'Do you want to talk about it?'

She realised what he was asking and sighed. 'Not tonight,' she told him.

Lily sank back deep into the pillows and closed her eyes, letting a sudden tiredness wash over her.

'Get some sleep,' she heard Jack say. 'I'll stay close by.'

Deep inside, she knew she should be strong. She knew she should send him away. She had stood alone for so long.

But his presence calmed her. So, for once, she let her guard down and whispered, 'Thank you,' before falling back asleep.

###

Late the following morning, Lily woke up to the sound of birdsong and a thumping headache.

She slowly sat up and remembered where she was. In Jack's bedroom. Actually in his bed, floating on a fluffy cloud, such was the thickness of the mattress that she was lying on.

She turned her head to look for him, but there was only the indentation on the cover to show that he had slept next to her.

In the soft, muted light of the curtain, she could see the dark oak furniture was complemented by modern touches of silver and glass. It felt like a luxurious hotel suite, not a normal person's bedroom. But, again, there were no personal items to make it feel like a home.

What it did feel was masculine. Warm. Comfortable. Sexy.

She knew deep down that she shouldn't be here. That she should have been strong enough to prevent Jack from absconding with her away from her home. But she seemed to remember her mother being there as well. But she was too lightheaded from lack of food to think anything through properly.

She looked around for her phone but couldn't find it, so she slowly swung her legs out of the bed and stood up.

Her head thumped in protest. Why on earth had she drunk the damn stuff?

Because you lost control, she reminded herself. Lauren walked out. You upset Annie. She went into early labour. You mucked up the invitations. You're a mess and a rubbish housekeeper.

She had gone to find her grandad: that much she remembered. It was all a bit hazy after that. She'd found some alcohol. Drunk it. And then Jack and her grandad had appeared. Suddenly there was a mad rush and something had exploded. Fire engines. And her mother had arrived soon afterwards.

But, apart from her head, the only part of her that appeared to be exerting any other kind of protest was her stomach, which was growling. She was starving, having not eaten since yesterday lunchtime.

She was also mortified. Jack had had to look after her. He'd taken care of her. It was too close. Too intimate.

She was confused because she knew he didn't want her. He had never wanted her. Their past was exactly that.

She sank back on the bed at the thought of him. What on earth was she going to do? She stood up once more. She would face him, of course. She would thank him for looking after her and then she would leave. Quickly.

But as she stood up again, she caught sight of herself in a nearby reflection and grimaced. Her hair was in knots. She hadn't washed the previous day. Despite the fact that she was desperate to leave, she knew that there was no way that she could face him like this.

So she went into the beautiful en-suite bathroom and had the most glorious shower of her life. She could feel herself coming back to life as she scrubbed her skin and hair clean.

Her top, in particular, was filthy; she'd been wearing the same one for the past twenty-four hours. She wandered back into the bedroom, trying to work out what exactly she could wear.

Feeling guilty, she opened up one of many wardrobe doors on the other side of the room and discovered many suits and, thankfully, shirts.

For a second she allowed herself a moment to inhale the faint smell of his aftershave that hung on the clothes. Then she shook her head, wondering what on earth she was doing.

She grabbed the nearest shirt and quickly closed the door.

*

Jack stood outside on the vast decked terrace, leaning on the glass balcony.

To the right, he could see the bend in the river close to the lock. But the main view ahead was the wide stretch of river and the fields beyond.

It was a glorious September day. The hay on the other side of the river had already been gathered and rolled, ready to be collected. The leaves on the trees were already becoming slightly tinged with yellow. Autumn was now closer than ever after the long, dry summer.

But, despite the beautiful view, all he could think about was Lily. He had heard her moving about in the bathroom and wondered how grumpy and hungover she would be when she emerged from the bedroom.

It would be a far cry from holding her in his arms after her nightmare during the night. He had woken up, still lying next to her, allowing him the luxury of being able to watch her whilst she slept. He had noted every detail. The dark eyelashes fanning her cheeks. Her skin, pale and smooth. Her dark red hair spilled across the pillow and he had reached out to stroke a wayward strand that was almost touching him. But, as quickly as he had caressed the soft lock with his fingers, he drew his hand away and quickly got up.

He went back inside, mulling over how much everything could change in a single night. Which made the riddle of why he seemed determined to keep Lily so close to him even more perplexing.

'Good morning.'

At the sound of her soft voice, he spun around.

'Good morning,' he replied automatically, whilst his eyes took in the sight of her. 'How are you feeling?'

'Awful,' Lily told him, breaking into a shy smile. She was a little pale, he thought. 'But I've had a couple of ibuprofen and feel almost human again. I've even had a shower.'

Her damp hair was loose around her shoulders. She was wearing the same shorts as the previous day, which clung to her long legs. She was also wearing a pale blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and the ends tied around her flat stomach.

'I hope it's OK that I've borrowed one of your shirts,' she said, blushing as she tugged at one of the tied ends wrapped around her waist. 'I didn't have anything else to change into.'

'It's fine. I've got plenty.'

They both remained silent as he poured her out a mug of coffee and handed it to her. Then he sat down on the sofa opposite to where she was sitting.

She hesitated before speaking. 'So, erm, what actually happened last night?'

He grinned. 'It turns out that your grandad and Arthur have been brewing moonshine in the shed. That's what you drank.'

'Wow. I remember that it tasted awful and was very strong.'

'And highly flammable, as it happens,' he added.

'What blew up? I seem to remember fire engines?'

'The shed.'

Her eyes widened. 'Crikey. Was anyone hurt?'

'No.' He hesitated. 'I got you and your grandad away from the fire.'

She looked at him. 'OK. Well, thank you.'

He shrugged his shoulders. 'That's OK. Your mother already thanked me.'

'Wow,' she said, her eyes wide. 'Talking of which, have you seen my phone?' she asked. 'I need to ring Mum.'

'It's on the coffee table. But I spoke to her earlier,' he told her. 'She sends her love and will talk to you later. She's heading up to the hospital where your grandad is being discharged today. He's had a good night and is ready to come home. No lasting effects.'

She sank back into the sofa with relief. 'Thank goodness.'

Lily closed her eyes for a moment but Jack's words came back to her almost immediately. No lasting effects? Maybe only for her grandad.

When she opened her eyes once more, she found him still looking at her.

'I guess you think I'm a complete idiot,' she said, with a groan.

He shook his head. 'It's me who's to blame. You would never have been in danger if it weren't for me.'

She gave a start. 'What are you talking about?'

'I shouldn't have said what I did.'

Robot. The word echoed around her head. He had called her a robot and he was probably right. She hadn't changed at all since they were teenagers. If anything, she was even more lonely and full of worry than she had ever been.

She gulped, the tears suddenly pricking at her eyes. 'You were right,' she blurted out, her voice thick with emotion. 'After we broke up and then the accident, I closed myself off to everything... and everyone.'

'I shouldn't have said what I did,' said Jack, dragging a hand through his hair.

'It doesn't matter,' she told him. 'I've got it all completely wrong. No wonder I'm going to lose my job.'

'Are you?' His eyebrows shot up in surprise.

'I'm pretty sure I am. I wrecked everything. Lauren has left. I took over the album launch and put the wrong venue in. It's a mess.' She took a shaky breath. 'I'm a mess.'

'You're many things, but you're not a mess,' he told her. 'Well, apart from when you tried smoking a cigarette that one time.'

She grimaced. 'Please! I feel sick enough.'

'You were pretty sick that day as well,' he said, smiling in memory.

'Yes, I remember,' she told him, rolling her eyes.

'Look,' he said, 'you're more than capable of organising things. You don't have anything to prove, so stop trying and relax. Then perhaps everyone else will relax a bit as well.'

'But I can't relax,' she blurted out. 'I have to do well. That's why I need all those lists: so I can get everything done.'

He looked irritated. 'Just forget about the lists.'

'I can't!' she wailed. 'I need to stay in control, otherwise something bad will happen again.'

'What are you talking about?'

'The guilt!' she told him. 'Don't you see why I'm like this? The never-ending guilt over what I did to my dad. His whole life fell apart and it's all my fault.'

He looked confused. 'How is it your fault?'

'I was the reason we were in the car in the first place,' she told him. 'I was so upset about breaking up with you that he suggested taking me and Mum out for a meal. We wouldn't have been in the car if it weren't for me.'

'You're crazy,' he told her, reaching out to take her hand in his. 'Besides, if anyone should feel guilty, it should be me. I was the one who left you at the prom. I was the one who stopped you from running away with me. Nobody else.' He squeezed her hand. 'You can't carry that kind of thing around with you forever. It wasn't within your power to prevent the accident. It was out of your control.'

'I know it was,' she said, withdrawing her hand from his. 'Which is why I don't like feeling that way.'

He leaned back in his chair and nodded to himself in thought. 'Well, at least we now know the answer to what happened to the impetuous, spirited girl I once knew.'

The silence stretched out until she put down her mug with a clang. 'I'd better get back to the Hall. I need to pack.'

'You're really leaving your job?'

She shook her head sadly. 'You have no idea. I've mucked up on an epic scale.'

'Maybe I can talk to Sam.'

Lily sighed. 'He's got bigger things on his plate at the minute with the baby. Oh my God, the baby! What happened?'

Jack held up his hand. 'Don't worry. The baby is fine and still due in a month's time. It was just early contractions, nothing to be worried about. Annie's heading home today as well.'

Lily sank back in relief against the sofa cushions. 'Thank God.' She put her mug down on the coffee table before looking around at the room. There were no photographs. No paintings. No wall art. Nothing. 'Did you just move in here?'

He shook his head. 'Why do you say that?'

'You're not one for photographs or keepsakes.'

He shrugged his shoulders. 'Never had anything to keep before I bought this place.'

'Do your parents ever come and visit?'

There was a short pause. 'No.'

'You haven't asked them, have you?' she said, softly.

He stood up quickly. 'So, what else can I get you? Coffee? Water?'

She noted the change of subject as her stomach growled once more.

'Actually,' she began, before her voice trailed off in embarrassment.

'What?'

'I'm starving,' she finally declared, giving him another shy smile.

'Well, that's a good sign,' he said, breaking into a grin. 'What you need for a hangover is some proper English food,' he told her, and was grateful to see her eyes gleam at the thought.

'I really should get back to the Hall,' she said, reluctantly.

'Rubbish. You can't face all that on an empty stomach. Luckily, I know just the right place for us to go.'

###

After a short drive, Lily realised that they were in a small village that she sort of recognised but didn't know very well.

They turned into the car park alongside a quaint country pub and Jack switched off the engine.

She looked up at the pub. 'This is nice, but they seem pretty busy,' she said.

'They'll have a table for me,' he told her.

'Why's that?' she asked as they both got out of the car.

'Because I own the place,' he replied to her amazement, before opening the door to let her in before him.

It was a traditional pub of oak beams and fireplaces that would be lit in the winter. On a warm September day, it was packed with people enjoying their lunches.

'Jacky boy!' came a nearby cry.

A huge man with a bald head charged across the busy room, ducking his head to avoid the dark oak beams on the low ceiling.

'Danny!' said Jack, his face breaking into a wide smile.

Lily was shocked to see the two men hug each other affectionately. Jack so rarely showed emotion that she was instantly certain that this was a person to trust.

'It's good to see you, mate,' said Danny, taking a step backwards to smile at Lily. 'Hello, love.'

He had a broad cockney accent and green eyes that appeared to hold a permanent twinkle in them.

Jack did the introductions. 'Lily, this is the landlord and an old mate. Danny, this is Lily. I've brought her to sample your excellent cooking.'

'Glad to hear it,' said Danny, giving Lily's hand an enthusiastic shake. 'Follow me.'

He led them through the busy bar and back outside into the warm sunshine. There were quite a few tables lining the terrace that overlooked the village green. He showed them to one right by a stream that had a reserved sign on it.

'Best table in this house,' said Danny, removing the sign. 'Only the best for you, Jacky boy.'

'Excellent,' said Jack, sitting down. 'How about some food?'

Danny produced a couple of menus, which they quickly ordered from. He then disappeared into the pub again.

'Jacky boy?' said Lily in a soft tone.

Jack smiled. 'Tell anyone back in Cranley and I'll cut your heart out.'

You already have, she thought with a sudden jolt. He continued smiling at her until her throat felt so constricted she could barely swallow.

'This is lovely,' she said, quickly turning to look out across the stream, which was glittering under the midday sun.

'He definitely chose the right place,' said Jack. 'The pub is always busy, summer or winter.'

'I'm not surprised,' she replied. 'It's a prime location.'

She felt as if she had gone on holiday. The sunshine. The different setting. She looked back across the table at Jack, who was staring out across the river. He was different too. The closed-off young man she had first met all those years ago didn't exist in her eyes any more.

The wild boy she had known had calmed down and matured into the wise man opposite her.

Danny arrived with a bread basket. He and Jack chatted some more about how busy the pub had become over the summer months.

Once he had gone, Lily asked. 'So, how did you meet him?'

'Danny?' Jack blew out a long sigh as he turned to look at the trees. 'I came across him in one of my many foster homes,' he replied eventually. 'He was normally in a fight of some kind. Trying to defend one of the younger kids.'

'Did he always want to run a pub?' she asked.

'He was more into breaking and entering when we first left school.'

Lily was shocked. 'He's been in prison?'

Jack nodded. 'But I kept in touch even after I was adopted. Watched as he reformed both himself and many other offenders as well.'

She kept quiet, not knowing what to say.

'Never forget where you come from,' said Jack. 'It's what makes you the person you are today. Our paths were different but we remained friends, despite me leaving the country.'

'You're certainly a long way from where you started, especially in a country manor house.'

He grinned. 'Sam and Will were a bit of a contrast to Danny, that's for sure. They'd both been brought up in comfortable surroundings instead of the rough beginning I had to endure. We're all pretty different, but somehow there was a bond there.' He turned to look back at the stream, where a duck was paddling in the shallow water. 'Danny always wanted to own a pub. It was a lifelong dream. So I helped him out. There's no point having money if you can't spread the wealth about a bit.'

She watched him turn the signet ring on his little finger round and around. 'Is that ring from your early years as well?'

'My ring?'

'You fiddle with it whenever you talk about the past,' she told him.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. 'I do? I never knew.' His eyes narrowed. 'Yes, the ring was my father's. I think he gave it to me to play with when I was only a couple of years old. Before he did his disappearing act, of course. Whether he meant to leave it with me, I'll never know. But it reminds me that you can't forget your past.'

'But you can't remain in it, either.'

He laughed. 'Oh, yes? What about you? Isn't it time to leave the comfort zone of your past as well? Uncertainty is a fact of life. Something is going to be unexpected and test you. If you wrap your life in cotton wool, that's not living. That's just tip-toeing around life. You can't just settle. You need to go for it.'

'But what about you?' she said, not wanting to think about her own problems at that moment.

'What about me?'

'Aren't you doing the same, by not making a home anywhere; by just running all the time?'

He shuffled uncomfortably. 'We're not talking about me.'

'I know, but you can't lecture me until you do the same, can you?'

At that moment they were interrupted by Danny arriving with two plates of burgers, chips and salad.

'Saved by the bell,' Jack told her, with a grin.

She watched him for a moment longer before they enjoyed their delicious lunch.

The food made her feel better and would hopefully give her strength for the afternoon ahead. Well, at least the Harris family now knew that she wasn't up to the job, she thought. She had failed on a massive scale.

'The family must hate me,' she blurted out.

'Of course they don't,' he told her. 'Nobody can hate you more than you appear to hate yourself, but we can try and work on that as well.'

'We?' She smiled gently.

'Why not? It looks like I'm staying on as well for a little while to do some electrical work for the family. Maybe we can muddle through all this together.'

'I'd like that,' she said softly.

'Me too.'

Pleased as she was to have Jack supporting her, she was suddenly overwhelmed with sadness that she was going to have to leave Willow Tree Hall behind. Worse, that she had lost Annie's friendship, and probably Megan's too. They were all so protective of Annie and rightly so. She didn't deserve their friendship.

But she needed to be strong for a little while longer. She needed to go up to the Hall, collect her clothes, apologise, and then start again.

She had no idea what she was going to do in the future, but at least she couldn't hurt anyone again.

###

After their lunch, Jack offered to drive Lily up to Willow Tree Hall.

On the journey there, he mulled over what she had told him earlier. Her guilt over the accident had left him reeling. Did she really feel that bad over something that had happened so long ago? He couldn't believe it. Surely some of the guilt had to be his.

They parked up and Jack heard Lily take a deep breath before they pushed the back door open.

On heading through into the kitchen, they were both greeted with a chorus of cheers.

'Our hero!' cried Rose, striding forward to give him a hug. 'I cannot believe what you've done for my old friend and our lovely Lily.'

Lily hovered nearby, looking embarrassed. Jack knew how she felt.

Arthur had also stepped forward to give him a vigorous shake of the hand. 'You are to be congratulated,' he said, in a teary voice. 'Without your intervention, it would have been an absolute tragedy.'

'You're embarrassing the poor bloke,' said Will, leaning in. 'Give him some air, for God's sake.'

But even he gave Jack a slap on the shoulder and whispered, 'Well done, mate.'

Meanwhile, Lily was surrounded by the family asking about any injuries and Bert's state of health.

'He's fine,' she told them, a blush spreading across her cheeks. 'Mum's texted me to say she's bringing him home. Is there any news about the baby?'

'Annie's upstairs, resting,' Skye told her. 'I think she and Sam are both asleep.'

'Right.' Lily nodded. 'I'll talk to her later. I'm just glad she and baby are OK.'

'Absolutely,' said Rose. 'Thankfully, it was just Braxton Hicks.'

'I'd better get going,' said Will. 'I've got flooring to lay. Are you around later to give me a hand?' he asked, looking at Jack.

'Of course,' said Jack.

'I must head out to my club,' said Rose.

'I'll give you a lift,' Skye told her. 'I've got to get some more paint in town.'

As the family began to get ready, Lily cleared her throat to carry on. 'Actually, I need to speak to someone about the job...'

But nobody was listening. Lily's shoulders sagged in dismay as she realised that handing in her resignation was going to be delayed.

Jack found himself pleased, and hoped to talk her out of it once everyone had left.

Left alone in the peace of the kitchen a while later, Jack watched as Lily sank into a chair, deep in troubled thought.

'You OK?' he asked, sitting opposite her across the table. 'Is it the hangover?'

She shook her head. 'I need to hand in my resignation but I don't want to wake up Annie when she's resting.'

'I still think you're overreacting,' he told her.

'I'm really not. It's all such a mess.'

He studied her for a moment. 'Right, how about you put your lists to good use for once?'

She looked up at him, confused. 'What are you talking about?'

'List your problems. Here. Now.'

She looked at him with fearful eyes. 'I can't,' she whispered.

'I'm not going to judge you,' he told her. 'I'm the last person to do that.'

She took a deep breath, still hesitating.

'Start with the small stuff if it helps,' said Jack.

He waited as she paused before speaking.

'Lauren the maid walked out yesterday,' she finally said.

'So get another maid,' he told her.

But Lily shook her head. 'It's not as simple as that. Lauren is Megan's niece. She's family. She's a sweet kid...'

'But...?' he asked.

'But she's a rubbish maid,' said Lily, with a groan. 'Not rubbish, actually. That's unfair.'

'So play to her strengths,' he told her. 'What can she do?'

'Baking, but that doesn't help anything.'

'OK. Well, you probably need to talk to Megan to try and keep the peace,' said Jack. 'Next problem?'

She gulped. 'I sent out the album launch invitations with the wrong venue on.'

'That's no big deal,' he told her. 'You just send out an updated one, and make sure they've all received it. Venues change all the time. Next problem?'

She was quiet for a long time before speaking. 'I can't do this.'

'Do what?'

'Be a housekeeper,' she told him. 'I'm too uptight.'

'So change,' he said. 'I'm sure you'll be happier if you're more relaxed.'

'I can't,' she said, her voice cracking. 'Anyway, I don't deserve to be happy.'

'What are you talking about? Everyone deserves to be happy.'

But to his dismay she shook her head. 'Not me,' she said in a small voice. 'Don't you see? It's the price I need to pay for the accident.'

He was aghast. 'That's crazy! It wasn't your fault. And your dad would never want you to think like that, either.'

'You don't understand,' she told him. 'Sacrifices had to be made after the accident. They still put me through college, even though there was no way we could afford it on Mum's wage alone.'

'So how did you cope?' he asked.

'I worked every evening in a cocktail bar in Aldwych.' She gave him a sad smile. 'I can make a mean cosmopolitan if I'm ever able to face alcohol again.'

'Doesn't sound like there was much time for dating,' he said, unable to stop himself from asking.

She shrugged her shoulders. 'I was too busy working. Trying to keep us afloat. There was no way I could afford to go to university, so I left home as soon as college was over so that I wouldn't be more of a burden on them.'

He sighed. 'One day, you and I are going to talk about the prom and what happened beforehand.'

'Not today?'

He shook his head. 'I think you've got enough to deal with at the moment.'

'So, what next?' she asked.

'I don't know,' he told her. 'I wish I did.

She stood up and paced up and down.

'Have you spoken to your parents?' he asked. 'Told them how you feel?'

She laughed without humour. 'Of course I haven't. We don't have those kinds of conversations.'

'Maybe you should start.'

Lily's face lit up in wry humour. 'And when did you ever have those conversations with your parents?'

'We were talking about you.'

'Yeah, right.' Her voice was laced with sarcasm.

'Look, you're nearly thirty,' he told her, trying to wrestle the conversation away from his own problems. 'You're old enough now that you have the choice whether to carry on feeling this unhappy or learn to relax a bit. What if you'd have died yesterday and you'd spent the past how-many-years living this closed-off life?'

'Ha! Right back at you!'

He looked at her, confused at her words.

'You're just as bad as me,' she told him, coming to stand in front of him so that she was only inches away. 'Not as uptight, perhaps, but you're just as closed-off as I am. When was the last time you let anyone into your life?'

'That's not the point...' he began.

But she put her fingers up against his lips to stop him talking. 'It's exactly the point. When was the last time you lived a little? Felt alive?'

Suddenly the world closed in. The kitchen disappeared around him and it was just them.

'June 29th, 2005,' he said, staring down into her green eyes.

He found he couldn't look away. Couldn't stop his hands from moving around to her back to bring her closer to him.

'That's quite a specific date,' she said, sounding a little breathless as she stared up at him.

'That was the last time we kissed,' he told her, bending his head down to hers.

She gave a little gasp as their lips met. Jack was immediately transported back fourteen years. But the kiss was just as sweet as when they had been younger. Her lips were just as soft. And she had exactly the same effect on him that she had always done.

He managed to drag himself away eventually from her, stepping backwards.

They stared at each other for a moment, both gulping at the air as they tried to recover from the moment.

Then Lily turned and walked away before he could say anything.

Jack was left cursing his lack of control, thinking that he had caused her more pain rather than helping as he had intended to do.

###

Lily took a deep breath before putting the key in the lock of the front door.

She had hoped that the short drive home from Willow Tree Hall would help clear her mind and give her the courage to tell her parents that she'd lost yet another job. But it hadn't.

She hadn't been able to concentrate on anything after Jack had kissed her.

Why had he done that? Her stomach lurched at the memory. He had felt so good. So familiar. So right.

But it was all wrong. She wasn't some naive sixteen-year-old any more.

How many women had he kissed since their last kiss? How many before he had first kissed her? She sighed. She didn't want to think about that. After all, she had been nearly engaged.

And Mark's kisses never felt like that, she found herself thinking.

Lily felt cross. It wasn't fair! He had dumped her just before the prom. And yet... since he had returned to the village he had been a little softer. Kinder. He had looked out for her. And he had saved her life.

All of which meant that she was even more confused and miserable as she opened up her front door.

'Hello,' she called out.

Her mother dashed out of the kitchen, clutching a tea towel. 'What are you doing back here so soon? Thought you'd be busy up at the Hall.'

'I just wanted to make sure Grandad was OK.'

'He's asleep in his room,' whispered Celia. 'He hardly got any sleep last night. You know what it's like in hospitals. How are you feeling?'

'I'm OK. I've had lunch. Just a bit of a headache.'

'I'm not surprised. Moonshine! Honestly!' Her mother tutted and went to turn away.

Lily sighed. 'We need to talk.'

Expecting histrionics, she was somewhat relieved when her mother merely nodded thoughtfully and said, 'Come on through. The kettle's just boiled.'

She went into the kitchen and watched as her dad's face lit up to see her. 'Hello, love,' he said, beaming as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. 'Should I have tried to win a homebrew kit instead of this stationery?'

He pointed at the pile of notebooks and pencils on the kitchen table.

'Maybe,' said Lily, trying to fill her voice with enthusiasm.

'I'm going to donate them to the infant school,' he carried on. 'They're always desperate for supplies.'

Her mother sighed. 'And what about us? What about all the things we're desperate for?'

Lily gulped. This was a bad start to the conversation and she hadn't even told them about losing her job yet.

'I didn't think we needed any more things cluttering up the house,' said her dad.

'But maybe we could have sold them?' replied her mother.

Her dad laughed. 'How much money do you think this lot will bring us in?'

Celia sighed heavily as she sat down at the table. 'I don't know. I'm too tired to think any more. I'm wrung out with worry.'

'About what?' asked Lily.

Her mother looked at her. 'Well, you and your grandfather for a start.'

'We're fine,' said Lily. 'Or at least I am. Is Grandad OK?'

'Coughing well, but other than that he's just tired.'

Lily nodded. 'Good.'

'I'm still getting endless phone calls from everyone about Jack,' said her mother. 'So brave. Such a turnaround in character.'

'Did I hear that he's working up at the Hall?' asked her dad.

'He's helping Will renovate one of the barns,' Lily told him.

'And don't you have work to do today?' asked her mother.

'Not any more. I think I've lost another job.'

Her parents exchanged a look of dismay. 'What do you mean?' said Celia, stunned. 'Whatever happened?'

'I was too pushy, apparently,' Lily told them. 'I was so wrapped up in my lists that I didn't realise that I might be upsetting a few people.'

Her mother was frowning. 'But who told you this? Isn't Annie still in hospital?'

Lily shook her head. 'No, she's home and fine. Resting. But we had a disagreement over something before she needed to go into hospital. It's all my fault.' She sighed. 'It doesn't matter. I didn't deserve the job, anyway.'

'Why would you say that?' asked her dad.

'Because it's true.' Lily fiddled with the salt and pepper pots on the table. 'I don't deserve anything because of what I did when I was younger.' The tears made her words sound thick and blurred. 'For all the trouble I caused. You know, when I was at school.'

'That was just teenage hormones,' said Celia. 'No, we didn't want you to get into trouble but we knew you were a good girl and would grow out of it.'

'But I made such a mess of things,' muttered Lily. 'And then I caused the accident.'

Her parents took in a deep breath as one.

'That wasn't your fault!' said her mother, reaching out to squeeze her hand.

'Yes, it was,' cried Lily. 'If I hadn't been so wrapped up in myself then you wouldn't have taken us out for a meal and we wouldn't have been in the car.'

Her dad shuffled around the table to put his arm around his daughter. 'It's not your fault,' he said. 'If anything, it was mine. I was five miles over the speed limit. We all know that. It's my fault that I'm stuck like this. My fault that your mother has to work all the hours to keep a roof over our heads. My fault.'

'Richard, you're wrong.'

They both turned to look at her mum. 'You didn't crash the car. Somebody drove into us. It was sheer bad luck, that's all. That's perhaps why we're so frustrated about it, but that's all.'

Lily leaned back in her chair. Was that right? Was she feeling guilty for something that wasn't within her power to change?

'I think we all just need to forgive ourselves,' said her dad, 'for surviving.'

'Except we didn't.' Her mother looked upset. 'We're still miserable. It's almost as if we did die a little in that accident.'

'But we didn't,' said Lily's dad, reaching out to his wife.

'No,' said Celia, nodding slowly as if realising something. 'You're right. We need to remember that. And perhaps keep remembering if we're ever going to move on. And, by God, we need to move on, don't we?'

As her mum began to cry, Lily and her dad gathered to hug her, and the three of them huddled together for a long while.

'We have to stop blaming ourselves,' said Celia finally.

'And we need to start living again,' added Lily, thinking of Jack's words.

He had been right. The endless guilt. The need to punish herself over and over. To keep in control. It was all useless.

She might be out of a job but maybe, just maybe, she had been given a fresh start. As had her parents.

The kiss between her and Jack had just been for old times' sake. That was all.

They were just friends. And it touched her that he still cared about her like that.

At least, that was what she was hoping. Because her heart wouldn't be able to cope with being broken by him a second time.

###

Having spoken to her family, Lily knew that she couldn't put off speaking to Annie and the rest of the Harris family any longer.

It was time to face the music and resign.

Lily felt strong enough to carefully drive back to the Hall, dreading the conversation she was going to have. She had become close to Annie and it made her feel awful that she could upset a friend so much.

The kitchen was empty, and so was the rest of the east wing. Everyone was obviously out and about. So Lily went across the entrance hall and finally found Annie on the sofa in the drawing room with her eyes closed.

Thinking that she didn't want to disturb her, Lily began to back out of the room but bumped into the door and made a small noise, causing Annie's eyes to suddenly fly open.

'Hello,' she said, sleepily. 'Come in.'

'Hi,' said Lily, tentatively heading across the floor to sit in the armchair opposite the sofa. 'How are you?'

'We're fine,' said Annie dreamily as she looked down at her baby bump. 'A little tired, and embarrassed about the fuss yesterday.'

'It's your first baby,' Lily told her. 'You were right to be concerned.'

'I know, but everyone was worried and stayed up at the hospital with us.' Annie gave a start. 'Oh my God! I nearly forgot! Whilst we were at the hospital, you and your grandad were almost being blown up!'

Lily shook her head. 'It really wasn't that dramatic.'

'I'm not so sure.'

'Grandad might have to get himself a new shed though,' said Lily.

Annie giggled. 'He and Arthur are in so much trouble with everyone. Illegal alcohol! Whatever next?'

Lily took a deep breath. 'Look—'

But Annie interrupted her. 'So, how are you? And your grandad? I missed all the drama.'

'We're much better, thanks. Grandad's back at home.' Lily tried again. 'Listen, Annie, I know that it's not working out...'

But Annie was yawning and wasn't really listening.

Lily tried to start again, but Annie blinked back to life and said, 'Sorry. Complete baby brain. I'm so tired I can't think straight. What do you need?'

'I need to hand my notice in,' said Lily.

Annie's face dropped. 'What are you talking about? Have you got another job?'

Lily shook her head. 'No. There's nothing else lined up.'

'Is it the moonshine thing? Because Sam and Will have had a word with Arthur and it won't happen again, despite what he says.'

'No, it's not that either.' Lily gave her a sad smile. 'But you must know that it wasn't working out having me here. We're friends and I want to keep it that way. But everything went wrong.'

Annie frowned. 'No, it didn't.'

Lily laughed without humour. 'You almost went into early labour because you were so upset about the album launch.'

'Oh, that!' Annie waved her hand as if it were irrelevant. 'That doesn't matter. We'll get something sorted. I overreacted.'

'No, you didn't,' Lily told her. 'You had every right to be upset. I'm too bossy. I took over everything.'

'Yes, well maybe just a little,' said Annie. 'But if you hadn't got hold of the ambulance and Sam so quickly, I'm not sure what would have happened to me.'

'You would have been fine.'

Annie bit her lip. 'I'm not so sure.'

'I'm so sorry.' Lily felt the tears welling up in her eyes.

'Oh, God!' said Annie softly, reaching out with her hand so that Lily had no choice but to take it. 'Don't get me going. My hormones are still all over the place.'

'I don't want to lose you as a friend,' Lily told her.

'You won't!' said Annie, a tear rolling down her cheek. 'But please don't go. We need you more than ever.'

Lily sniffed her own tears away. 'But what if I upset everyone again?'

'You won't,' Annie told her. 'We'll muddle through somehow. Please stay.'

'What on earth is going on?' said Rose, standing in the doorway and looking horrified at their upset faces. 'What's happened now?'

'Lily thinks she should leave,' said Annie, the tears now streaming down her face. 'She mustn't go. Tell her, Rose!'

'Of course she mustn't.' Rose strode over, whipping out a handkerchief to pass to Annie as she sat next to her on the sofa. 'Now what's all this about?'

'I was too bossy,' said Lily, wiping away her own tears. 'I upset everyone by taking over. I know that now.'

'Darling!' said Rose, laughing. 'It doesn't matter. I've been on the naughty step my whole life!'

Annie smiled. 'Why am I not surprised?'

'I ruined your clothes,' began Lily. 'I upset everyone. And then the cleaning...' Lily gulped. 'Lauren walked out.'

'Teenage hormones,' said Rose, ruefully.

Lily shook her head. 'No, I was too strict with her.'

'The trouble is, she's not a cleaner,' said Rose. 'She has no interest in it.'

'The only thing she's interested in is baking,' said Lily, and then stopped. 'I wonder...'

'What?' said Annie.

'One of the reasons you wanted me to work here in the first place was to help out with the dinners and all that. I wonder if she could help with that instead?'

'Well, that sounds like a plan,' said Rose.

'So we lose a cleaner and gain a cook instead?' Annie nodded thoughtfully. 'That could work.'

'We did always have a cook before,' said Rose.

'Maybe I could have a word with her?' said Lily, before her face dropped once more. 'But what about the album launch? What will we do?'

'Actually, I think Sam thought it might be quite nice to hold it here,' said Annie, with a shrug. 'Anyway, weren't you an events organiser in London?'

Lily shook her head. 'I was only the assistant. I wasn't in charge.'

'So?' said Rose. 'Darling, think big! Well, that settles it.' She stood up, her eyes gleaming. 'Think of all those musicians and glamorous journalists milling around here. How marvellous!'

But Lily still wasn't convinced. 'I'm not so sure.'

'Nonsense!' said Rose, in a firm tone. 'Let's hold it here. Doesn't it highlight the Hall? All publicity is good publicity, after all.'

'I agree,' said Annie, with a yawn. 'But I'm going to have to leave it with you, more or less. With Sam's input, of course. What do you think?'

Lily bit her lip. 'What if I get too bossy again?'

'We'll tell you,' said Annie. 'I promise. Listen, how about we rebrand you? Why don't you help organise the big events like the album launch? So you don't need to worry about being a housekeeper and all the strain that comes with it? More like Willow Tree Hall's very own personal assistant. What do you say?'

'Are you sure?' asked Lily.

'I think that would work better for all of us,' said Annie. 'We can muddle through with the personal stuff like we always have done. That leaves the big organisation side of things to you. Do you think you can handle it?'

'I'd like to try,' Lily told her.

'Good.' Annie reached out to squeeze her hand. 'Please stay. You're part of the family now.'

Lily squeezed Annie's hand in reply. 'I'd love to.'

'Excellent!' said Rose, clapping her hands together in glee. 'Let's have a drink to celebrate!'

'I'm still pregnant,' Annie told her, rolling her eyes.

'And I'm not sure I'll ever be able to face alcohol ever again,' added Lily, with a grimace.

'Lightweights,' said Rose, laughing. 'Anyway, that leaves more for me then, doesn't it?'

###

Jack slid his mobile phone back into the pocket of his jeans and sighed softly. It had been a brief, typically awkward conversation with his mother to assure her that he was fine and had no residual effects from the fire.

You should be glad that somebody worries about you, he found himself thinking. Family. Friends. All the things that he had never had and never wanted.

Never needed, he reminded himself. It had just been himself growing up and that had served him very well.

'Hey,' said Will, coming across the patio towards him. 'You couldn't give me a hand, could you?'

His hands were full of bunting and other party-type paraphernalia.

'What's all this for?' asked Jack.

'The stable block,' Will told him as they began to walk across the back of the great house and towards a nearby path. 'It's time for the September fair next weekend. I don't know where the time goes. We've only just had the last monthly one.'

'It's every month?' asked Jack, walking alongside him.

'Yeah. Can't believe how quickly it's taken off, to be honest. It started off as just a one-off event, but it's grown into a monthly thing. Have you seen the stable block?'

Jack shook his head. 'Not yet.'

He glanced over at the huge back lawn, which had become a wildflower meadow thanks to the complete lack of care and the mix of sunshine and rain – although the flowers were now losing their bright colours and beginning to fade as autumn was just around the corner.

'I'm quite pleased about it, to tell you the truth,' said Will, as they walked. 'Now that I'm Estate Manager, there's a kind of responsibility for it all. We started off with just Eleanor's business – that's one of Annie's friends – in one of the dozen workshops, and now they're almost all full.'

As they rounded a large tree, the group of buildings came properly into view.

The stable block was an L-shaped block built in the same honey-coloured brick as the main Hall. There were about ten individual stables, each with green shutters and a window. They all appeared to be occupied by various businesses.

The nearest two stables had a sign across that read 'Eleanor's Apothecary'.

'My wife uses the one next door for her furniture upcycling business,' said Will.

'What's that over there?' asked Jack, nodding at a separate building.

'The old dairy house,' Will told him. 'You can see that it hasn't been touched, unlike the

stable block, which Tom worked on.'

'Tom the multi-platinum, award-winning famous singer?'

Will grinned. 'Yup. One and the same. Turns out he was a pretty decent carpenter as well.'

Always interested in old buildings, Jack walked towards the dairy house. Whilst the windows looked rotten, the brick itself was the lovely sand-coloured brick that was so attractive.

'Do you mind if I have a look inside?' asked Jack.

'Go ahead,' said Will. 'But be careful. I'm not sure how stable the whole structure is.'

Will was actually underestimating the state of the place, thought Jack, as he peered inside. It was a good, solid building with thick walls. There was a smaller room at the back, but the main room was a great size.

'Maybe you could use this as a workshop as well?' he said, blinking at the bright sunshine as he went back outside.

'I suppose,' said Will. 'But I'm not sure who's got the kind of money to rent it out, let alone the current state of the place.'

'Which of my many buildings are being utilised now?' said Arthur, stepping into the courtyard with Bert alongside him.

'Jack was looking at the old dairy,' Will told him.

'It's been a while since anyone was in there,' said Arthur, looking at Bert. 'Do you remember when it was in full swing?'

'Remember the mess that the cows made,' muttered Bert.

'The fresh milk was always welcome, though,' said Arthur, ever amiable. 'Perhaps we could get a cow for the baby.'

'I think Sam and Annie would prefer a cot, to be honest,' said Will, raising an eyebrow in a sardonic manner.

'Perhaps you're right,' said Arthur, sitting down next to Bert on the ancient seat in the courtyard.

'How are you?' asked Jack to Bert.

'I'd be better if everyone stopped fussing,' muttered Bert.

'You should have thought about that before you started making your exploding moonshine,' said Will, shaking his head. 'You know, you've got to be so careful with this kind of stuff. I was reading up on a whisky in Scotland. An ancient recipe. Could take your breath away. Literally, as it happens, because it could kill a grown man with only two spoonfuls.'

'Really?' said Jack.

'Absolutely,' said Will. 'It was ninety-two per cent proof.'

'The water of life,' murmured Arthur.

'More like the elixir of death at that strength,' said Will, rolling his eyes. 'What on earth got you two interested in it?'

'The GIs during the war,' said Arthur, smiling in memory. 'The main house was used for evacuees and various servicemen. All the great houses were. Anyway, we had quite a few American GIs staying with us. I was just a baby, of course. But their families continued to visit after the war and into the 1950s. I think that's what sparked Rose's love of travelling. And possibly husbands as well. Anyway, one of them left his recipe behind. Your great-grandfather tried it out. Bert and I were talking about it one day and thought we'd give it a go.'

'Turned out alright,' said Bert, sounding almost proud.

'I'm not sure that's quite how I'd phrase it,' said Will, frowning.

'How did it taste?' asked Jack, interested.

Will turned to look at him in surprise.

Jack shrugged his shoulders. 'I quite like the smaller breweries. There's so many artisan distilleries now.'

Arthur made a face. 'Truth be told, it didn't taste great.'

'Perhaps it needed some flavour,' said Jack. 'You know, like the juniper of gin. Or even rhubarb gin. Apples or pears.'

'We've plenty of apples,' grunted Bert. 'They all need picking and harvesting.'

'I've already got my hands full,' said Will, holding up his hands. 'We need to get that barn up and running with electricity and maybe some doors as well.'

'Is Tom helping us again?' asked Arthur.

Will shook his head. 'He's heading off soon on a short tour. So I need another carpenter to give us a hand.'

'I'll have a word with Mr Reynolds, shall I?' said Arthur. 'He'll put us in touch with someone decent, I'm sure.'

'As long as they're cheap,' said Will, with a grimace. 'Funds are a little short this month.'

'Actually, I might know someone,' said Jack.

'Great,' said Will. 'And you're sticking around for the time being, are you?'

Jack found himself tempted. 'Well, I've got nothing else to do until I find another job.'

'Excellent notion,' said Arthur, smiling.

He and Bert walked away, deep in discussion.

'Sorry to have put you on the spot like that,' said Will, in a hushed tone. 'I know you're anxious to move on with your life.'

Jack thought for a moment. 'The trouble is I'm not sure which direction to go in. I don't build things any more. I only seem to tear them down. And I hate it. Really hate it.'

'Well, you're a bloody good electrician, if this morning's work is to be gauged,' said Will. 'Maybe you could do that instead. Put your old skills to good use.'

Jack found that he was smiling. 'Maybe I could.'

'And it was nice to see Grandad looking so cheerful,' said Will, with a sudden frown. 'This whole business of the takeover has been bringing him down.'

As they carried on with their work, Jack realised that he had begun to ignore the consequences of the land and buildings that he had worked on for the past few years. He had only seen the pound signs, but his job had affected real people. Was he losing his nerve? His competitive edge?

He knew that he had a house that was bought and paid for. That he was financially secure. He didn't need to keep going and going with the next extravagant project – which made him wonder what to do with his life.

For once, he didn't feel like running. He felt comfortable. Amongst friends.

And then there was Lily. He still needed to make amends with her. So perhaps a few more weeks would work in his favour. He knew that he was deliberately stringing out the list of jobs around Willow Tree Hall so that he could stick around the village more.

And that this wasn't about anything other than Lily.

###

Despite Annie's and Rose's enthusiasm, Lily was still worried about the new start that she had been given at Willow Tree Hall.

She wasn't at all confident that she was up to the task ahead. But the Harris family appeared to have faith in her, so she brought out her phone and began to make her to-do lists once more.

Top of the list was to talk to Lauren.

She decided that perhaps the least stressful setting to meet would be Megan's house, next door to her own home.

'I wanted to apologise,' said Lily as the three of them sat down at the table. 'I know I wasn't the easiest person to work for.'

'That's OK,' muttered Lauren, not making eye contact.

'Have you got another job yet?' asked Lily gently.

Lauren shook her head.

Megan rolled her eyes at her teenage niece's sullen attitude, but didn't say anything.

'That's good,' said Lily. 'Because I have a proposition for you.'

'Is it about cleaning?' said Lauren, looking downcast.

'In a way,' Lily told her. 'How about you still work at Willow Tree Hall, but cleaning only every morning? I think we could both keep on top of things with only those few hours each day.'

'So I'd be part-time,' said Lauren, with a pout.

'Well, that depends on how you feel,' said Lily. 'You see, I was thinking that perhaps in the afternoons you could do some cooking for the family. Pies. Cakes. Bread. Even preparing the family's dinner.'

She held her breath, but was relieved to see Lauren's face light up.

'You mean I could do my cooking and get paid for it?' said Lauren, looking amazed.

Lily nodded. 'That's right.'

Lauren looked at Megan. 'Is this for real?'

'Apparently so,' said Megan. 'But you'd still need to clean each morning.'

'That's OK,' said Lauren quickly, looking more animated than Lily could ever remember seeing.

'It's just cleaning the bathrooms and hoovering,' Lily told her. 'They're happy to do without all the rest for the time being.'

Lauren nodded on autopilot.

'Perhaps you and I could sit down with Annie and talk about what she would like. Menus and all that.' Lily smiled. 'Then you can write out a food shopping list and I can organise to get it delivered. What do you say?'

Lauren nodded again, too excited apparently to find the words.

Lily glanced at Megan, who gave her a wink of approval.

So the cleaner problem had been resolved, she thought. And the housekeeping of the home was more or less at an end as well.

But that left the huge problem of the album launch venue.

Later that day, Lily met with Sam. Together, they sat down at the kitchen table to discuss the details.

'Look, I think I could sort of pull together an event like that,' said Lily. 'The practical side of the organising I'm used to. But theming and all that kind of thing is totally beyond my skills.'

Sam smiled. 'Don't worry,' he said. 'I've invited Alex and the band back up to the house for the weekend. We'll sit down then and see what we can come up with.'

But Lily was still concerned that she was out of her depth.

She wandered outside, planning on seeing her grandad. But instead she came across Arthur heading out to walk Dylan.

'Why don't you join us, my dear?' he asked.

She was about to reply that she couldn't possibly spare the time when she thought again about Jack's advice to stop and live in the moment. So she replied, 'Thank you. I'd love to,' and started to walk along with Arthur.

Despite the late afternoon sun, the weather felt a little cooler that day. The sun already had less warmth as the nights began to draw in a little.

Dylan, however, continued to bounce joyfully about in the long grass.

Lily and Arthur kept walking until they came across the blackened remains of the shed.

'Dear me,' said Arthur, shaking his head. 'You were very lucky not to be in there when it went up.'

'I know,' she told him, reminded once more of Jack's bravery.

They skirted around the charred pile and continued to walk, eventually coming to a rotten wooden gate.

'I think this is where we ended up,' said Lily.

'You mean, in the orchard,' said Arthur, opening up the gate and heading through into what Lily had assumed was another field.

Instead, it had long lines of ancient trees, all heavy and laden with ripened apples. Quite a few were already on the ground beneath.

'I didn't even know this was here,' said Lily, taking a deep breath. The air was full of fermenting apples and alive with the buzzing of insects.

'It's a little neglected these days,' Arthur told her, picking an apple off the nearest tree. 'In the old days, they were all harvested and pressed. We made our very own cider, you know.'

'Really?' said Lily, smiling.

'Oh yes,' said Arthur, pointing at a building at the far end of the orchard. 'The old press is still in there.'

'Why did you stop making it?' asked Lily.

'Well, the staff all retired one by one, and there just weren't enough of us for the harvest,' said Arthur, leaning down to give Dylan an apple to munch on.

But there might be now, thought Lily. However, she stayed silent. The family had enough on their hands these days without adding more to their workload.

The old Lily would have probably got on and harvested the apples herself, she thought with a smile to herself. But she had promised not to take on too much work and she was determined to make good on that. With a wistful glance back at the orchard, Lily carried on walking with Arthur.

Leaving Arthur and Dylan back at the main house, she wandered on towards the stable block to see if Skye was around. She had heard that Skye was very artistic. Perhaps she would have an idea as to theming for the album launch.

But it was late and the stable block was quiet. She realised it was gone five o'clock.

However, there was banging and hammering coming from another building nearby. She seemed to remember Arthur referring to a dairy house. Perhaps that was it.

Expecting to see Will, she was amazed to find Jack hammering nails into one of the very thick walls. She allowed herself to stare at his sweaty torso which his T-shirt was clinging to. The man had certainly kept himself in good shape over the years.

He suddenly turned around and she found herself embarrassed that he had caught her watching him.

But he smiled. 'Hey,' he said. 'What are you doing here?'

'I was looking for Skye and heard you hard at work,' she told him.

'I've heard on the grapevine that you're now an events organiser again?'

'Maybe. If I can pull it off, that is.'

'Don't sell yourself short,' he told her.

'I dunno,' she said. 'I don't have any real skills. I'm not artistic like Skye or good with flowers like Eleanor. I can't really do anything. Anyway,' she said quickly, changing the subject. 'What are you up to in here?'

'Will thought the shelter might come in useful if it rains this weekend.'

'Why? What's going on this weekend?' she asked.

'The monthly market,' he told her.

She suddenly remembered it being on the planner. 'So you're still helping out around here with the electrics and so forth?'

'Guess so.'

She looked away, embarrassed. 'I had no idea you were such a handyman,' she said, looking around the room. Anywhere but straight at him.

She heard Jack take a step forward. 'Oh, I've always been good with my hands,' he told her.

She took another glance at his sweaty torso and found herself gulping.

'You're so smooth,' she said, giving him an exaggerated roll of the eyes to try and alleviate her embarrassment at the way he was making her feel.

'I'm many things, but smooth isn't one of them,' he told her.

That was right, she found herself thinking. He was rough. Tough. Passionate.

And she wanted nothing else but to kiss him at that moment.

Thankfully, he seemed to have read her mind and stepped forward to take her into his arms. She was squashed against his hard chest as his lips crushed hers. It was a hot, passionate kiss and every bit as good as she remembered his kisses to be.

When she stepped back to catch her breath, his eyes were hooded and dark.

'I knew there was still passion in there somewhere,' he said, his voice gruff.

But his words upset her. 'I can be passionate when I want to be,' she told him, a little hurt.

'You need to let people in if you want to be passionate,' he said.

'You don't let anyone get close to you.'

'I let you in,' he said in a husky deep tone.

'Once,' she added quickly. 'And you've lived a closed life ever since. Where are your friends? What about your parents? Where are the people in your life?'

'I have people,' he said, stiffly.

'You've closed yourself off because you're afraid, buster,' she told him.

'No, I'm not.' But he folded his arms across his chest in a defensive manner. 'Anyway, your people are just Cranley people. You haven't spread your wings at all.'

'I've lived in London, haven't I? Anyway, what about that motorbike you were going on about. I've never seen you on it. Is it kept in a garage and never used?'

He looked sheepish for a second before his face broke into a grin. 'Yeah, you got me there, I suppose.'

Lily was just turning away, grateful to have got the upper hand for once, when he spoke again.

'The lease company are finally collecting the company car tomorrow. And I've got the road tax sorted out now, so later on I'll get the bike out and you can come out with me.'

She spun around, horrified. 'Not on your life.'

'You used to like it,' he told her. 'And it will be my life in peril if your mother hears about it.'

'I have to work,' she said. 'It's the September market, remember?'

'Then how about we do it on Sunday instead? And I thought the idea was to relax a bit. Doesn't that include weekends?'

She had run out of excuses, so all she could do was give him a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.

'What time?' she asked.

'Be at the front of the house at 11 a.m.,' he told her, smiling.

She gave him a nod and turned to walk away, wondering what she was more frightened of: being on the back of Jack's motorbike or the way that he made her feel whenever he was close.

###

The morning of the September market dawned bright and sunny. But it was perhaps just a little chillier, thought Lily, pulling her sweatshirt around her as she walked towards the stable block.

Despite the early hour, the normally quiet courtyard was bustling with people. Trestle tables were covered with piles of goodies to be bought. Money was being counted. Everyone was getting ready for a busy day ahead.

Lily wandered past one stall that was piled high with jars of homemade apple chutney. The next had beautiful cushions and tablecloths, which had been made by Eleanor's mother. Eleanor had set up a couple of tables in front of her workshop and was piling up tubs of creams and potions.

Skye had also flung open the doors to her workshop and was arranging various jars and vases that had been delicately decorated with metallic paints.

The other stalls were selling everything from candles to homemade biscuits. Lauren was also manning a stall where she had once more baked delicious cakes of all flavours.

In the last couple of days, Lauren had come out of her shell and had even managed not to break anything valuable. In the afternoons, everyone had been lured to the kitchen as the smell of home-baking had wafted through the house.

Skye waved. 'Morning!' she shouted out. 'Will's manning the entrance to make sure everyone heads this way instead of into the main house.'

Lily nodded. 'I saw him already. Can I do anything to help?'

'I think we're all set.'

'We just need the customers!' said Eleanor, glancing at her watch.

But she needn't have worried. By mid-morning the place was packed with locals wandering about and purchasing lots of goodies.

'Is it always this busy?' Lily managed to ask Skye at a brief interlude later in the morning.

'Every month,' said Skye, looking proud. 'It was all Will's idea. He got it up and running.'

'Excuse me, but is there a drinks stand or somewhere to get a cup of tea?' asked a lady nearby.

'I'm afraid not,' said Skye.

As the lady went away, Skye looked at Lily and shrugged. 'We have mulled wine at Christmas, but I suppose we should think about something else for the rest of the year.'

They were then interrupted by someone else asking about one of Skye's decorated lanterns, so Lily left them to it. She walked through the main avenue, past the stalls, and found her feet leading her to where Jack was sorting out some wiring inside the dairy house.

'Looks like the weather will hold,' Lily told him.

'Thank goodness,' said Jack. 'Because I don't think it's quite ready for anyone to use as a shelter yet.'

'Have you tried the cake?' she asked, as he carried on fixing a light switch onto the wall.

'Not my thing,' he replied. 'Although I'd kill for a coffee right now.'

Lily frowned. 'You're the second person who's just mentioned the lack of refreshments. I wonder if we need to set up an extra stall next time.'

Jack nodded. 'Sounds like a good idea.'

'Of course, if it rains...' she began, her voice trailing off as she stared around the large room.

'What?' said Jack.

'A tea room!' said Lily, with a wide smile.

Jack raised an eyebrow. 'I thought you weren't supposed to be taking on any more work.'

'But it's just lying here, empty,' she told him, waving her arm around the room. 'What do we need?'

'Electricity,' he told her. 'Tables, chairs, someone to serve, food. All of it.'

But Lily could only see the possibilities. 'A tea room! That's such a good idea! Oh my God. I must go and tell Annie.'

But Jack reached out his arm to stop her leaving. 'No, no, no way,' he said, shaking his head.

She gave him a winning smile and kissed him briefly on the cheek, before ducking under his arm and rushing out of the door.

She came across Rose almost immediately.

'Rose!' she said, rushing up to her. 'We've just had the most amazing idea.'

However, Rose wasn't listening to her. Instead, she was glaring across the courtyard.

'Whatever's the matter?' asked Lily.

'That man!' hissed Rose. 'The bare-faced cheek of him coming here!'

Lily looked across at a well-dressed older man walking about from stall to stall, although he didn't appear to be buying anything.

'Who is it?' whispered Lily.

'That,' spat Rose, in a white-hot fury, 'is Eric Thatcher! And with him is that grubby Councillor Roberts.'

Lily turned to stare at the man. 'I can't believe they'd come here.'

'I can,' said Rose, glaring at him as he came towards her.

'Rose Harris,' he said, with a nod. 'You haven't aged one bit.'

'You, on the other hand, Eric Thatcher, appear to be losing your hair,' said Rose, in an imperious tone.

Eric glared at her and turned away.

'Right,' muttered Rose, spinning around to the nearby WI cake stall. 'I'll give you what for, Eric Thatcher.'

She picked up a rock cake from one of the plates and lobbed it into the air. The cake flew as if in slow motion over the people in front of them to land, instead, on the shoulder of the councillor, where it disintegrated.

He gave a start and turned around, staring up in the air to wonder where the cake had come from.

For a minute, Lily thought they had got away with Rose's moment of madness. But no.

'Mine are too soft,' cried one of the other women. 'You'll do no harm with those. Here,' she handed Rose a rock cake from a different plate, 'use Mavis' cakes. They're always as hard as steel. They'll be perfect as a weapon.'

Rose nodded in agreement, picked up another cake and threw it at Eric Thatcher. This time it bounced off his head.

'Hey!' he said, becoming cross.

'Excuse me!' boomed one of the other women from nearby. 'I'll have you know, Daphne McGuinness, that my rock cakes are quite soft, actually!'

'Don't take it personally, Mavis darling,' cried Rose, grabbing another cake. 'Just let him have it.'

'It's all in the whipping, dear,' cried another woman, throwing another cake.

'I know about whipping,' snapped Mavis. 'Don't tell me how to make rock cakes.'

'Ladies!' cried Rose. 'Can we concentrate on the enemy at hand?'

'What is this?' snapped Eric, now very angry.

'This is a sign that you're not welcome here!' boomed Rose, bringing the whole place to a shuddering halt. 'How dare you come to our lovely market when you're threatening to mow the whole place down with your ghastly bypass! This is the man!' she announced to the crowd, which was now silent and watching. 'This person wants to take away our village! Our life! Our history! With his horrid bypass. These two men are responsible for it all!'

The silence stretched out as everyone stared at them.

From a nearby vegetable stall, Lily saw a couple of tomatoes fly across the courtyard to splat against the man's white shirt and stain it red.

'What the hell!' muttered the councillor. 'What is this?'

And then the food really began to fly.

Cabbage, tomatoes and eggs flew across the courtyard, pelting the men as they tried to leave. Cakes were thrown. Cream smeared across the floor.

'Not my shortbread!' shouted one of the WI ladies, grabbing her plate and clutching it to her chest.

A beetroot flew from somewhere behind Lily to hit the councillor smack in the pelvis region. She looked around to find Arthur with a smile on his face. 'It's all in the spin action,' the Earl of Cranley murmured, waggling his hand movement at her before he wandered off in all innocence.

Jack had rushed out of the dairy house to see what the commotion was. To Lily's amazement, he burst into laughter. His face softened in amusement as he took in Eric's humiliation.

'You'll regret this!' announced Eric, glaring at everyone before quickly leaving. Despite his threat, everyone cheered heartily and gave themselves a huge round of applause.

###

After the food fight, Lily was pleased to find the family were still in good spirits later that afternoon when they gathered in the drawing room. A fire had been lit in the hearth and the room was full, especially as Alex and the band had returned for the evening.

'You're a disgrace, Aunty,' said Sam, shaking his head.

'Rubbish,' said Will, laughing. 'If I'd realised who he was, I'd have punched him in the face.'

'As it turns out, Mavis' rock cakes will almost certainly have given him two black eyes,' said Rose, smiling.

'You always were a good bowler on the cricket pitch,' said Arthur, nodding his approval.

The suggestion of the tea room had gone down well with everyone. Well, almost everyone.

'So you've just added yet another job to my ever-increasing list,' moaned Will later that afternoon.

'Jack said he'll help,' said Lily, not making eye contact as she put words into his mouth.

Eventually, she looked up at him and found him watching her with raised eyebrows. But his eyes were crinkled at the edges into a soft smile.

'It's a great idea,' said Sam. 'A bit more revenue coming in.'

'Shame I never got to taste the moonshine,' said Mick, looking sad.

'It would have blown your head off,' Jack told him.

'Excellent,' said Mick, rubbing his hands together. 'We'll have some for the album launch.'

'We can't serve moonshine at an exclusive album launch!' wailed Alex. 'It should be champagne and canapes.'

The band as one groaned. 'Yeah, but that's not really us,' said Mick. 'We ain't classy gents, as you're always reminding us.'

'True,' said Alex. 'But this sounds terrible! I wanted it to be a glamorous affair.'

'Nah,' said Mick, shaking his head. 'Me and the lads just want to relax and have a good time, here in the country.'

'Rest assured, there will be no more moonshine,' announced Sam, to everyone else's relief.

'Pity,' said Mick. 'At least it was homemade. It would have been nice to have something from the old Hall, you know?'

'So, what kind of theme are you wanting for the party?' asked Alex.

'The theme is, let's make shedloads of money,' said Mick.

The rest of the band nodded enthusiastically with him.

'Very artistic.' Alex rolled his eyes. 'What are the songs this time?'

'It's their take on country and western classics, but with a rock twist,' said Sam, looking proud. 'It's really good.'

'Like "9 to 5"?' drawled Alex.

Mick shook his finger at his friend. 'You can bitch about many things, but Dolly ain't one of them. The woman's got incredible talent.'

'Dolly Parton is my goddess!' said Alex, affronted. 'I won't hear a word about her, either.'

'What about a country theme?' wondered Lily. 'Homemade...' Her voice trailed off.

Everyone turned to look at her.

She shuffled in her seat. 'Sorry,' she said quickly. 'I was just thinking out loud.'

'That's it,' said Alex, nodding enthusiastically. He looked at the band. 'What do you think?'

'We're in the country, ain't we?' said Mick.

Alex rolled his eyes again. 'I mean, let's dress the place up in a country theme. Can't you see it? A huge marquee.'

'We won't need it,' said Will. 'We can use the barn. Far more country, anyway.'

'Absolutely,' said Alex. 'And we'll have hay bales. Bunting. Wooden signs.'

'I had one of my best ever nights rolling around in a hay loft,' said Mick, his eyes gleaming at the memory.

Alex waved him away with his hand. 'I don't need to hear about your sex life now. I'm talking soft country. Cute. Oh, it's going to be so pretty! A Willow Tree Hall country theme.'

'We can reuse some of the stuff from the summer fete as well,' said Will.

'What about food and drink?' asked Sam.

'Barbeque,' said Will, decisively. 'It's easy and who wants all those little canapes, anyway? Journalists will eat anything if it's free. I'm sure they'd relish some decent food.'

'Why don't we invite their families,' said Rose, looking around the room. 'I mean, it's being held at the weekend, isn't it? Let's make it a country thing, like our fete. They can relax and so can you.'

'So the food's sorted,' said Sam, nodding. 'Beer?'

'And moonshine!' Mick grinned.

'No moonshine,' said Sam in a warning tone. 'But I agree it would be nice to have something homemade to serve them.'

'Apples,' blurted out Lily.

Everyone turned to look at her. 'Say that again?' said Mick.

'The orchard.' She turned to look at Arthur. 'Are the apples edible?'

'Oh, yes,' said Arthur, nodding and smiling. 'That's a splendid idea.'

'What are we talking about?' asked Alex.

'The old apple orchard at the back of the vegetable garden,' Arthur told him. 'It has a very rare variety of apples, apparently. Not that we've harvested them for years, of course.'

'Can we make some cider?' asked Mick, his eyes gleaming.

Jack shook his head. 'Not in a fortnight. You'd need to give it a bit longer to brew, I think.'

'Worth a go, though,' urged Mick.

'And we do have the old apple presses somewhere,' said Arthur, thoughtfully.

'Perhaps we could press and pulp some of them to use in cocktails,' said Lily. 'Like apple martinis or apple margaritas. Apple, elderflower and gin is nice as well.'

Everyone burst into life as they nodded in agreement.

'Great idea!' said Mick, above the clamour.

'What about the pulping and all that? Because I haven't got time for all that,' said Will.

'I can give it a go, if you want,' said Jack. 'I've always wanted my own little artisan brewery. Maybe this could be the start of something.'

Mick looked Lily over once more. 'Good idea, love. And I'll enjoy helping you with the hay bales.'

Lily blushed, feeling Jack's icy stare at them both.

For a second, she wondered whether he was actually jealous of Mick.

Whatever the reason, she found herself smiling as she continued to blush.

###

Early on Sunday morning, Jack took advantage of the peace and quiet to inspect the orchard more thoroughly.

He was more excited than he cared to admit to himself about making cider, or even just pulping the apples. Finally, he felt as if he were creating something new and hopefully special.

The morning air was cool but the blue sky above promised another warm autumn day as he pushed open the rickety wooden gate into the orchard.

Last time he had been there, there had been exploding sheds and Lily plus her grandfather to take care of. This time, he had the luxury of the place to himself.

The trees were set out in orderly rows, their branches laden with leaves and fruit. He did a quick count of the rows and thought that there were about seventy-five trees in total. A soft breeze wafted over the orchard, causing the drying leaves to rustle and the branches to creak.

He reached out and picked a ripe apple from the nearest tree. Inspecting it, it looked healthy and tempting. Unable to resist, he took a bite.

'Good, aren't they?' said a voice nearby.

Jack looked up to find Bert walking towards him. He hastily wiped the apple juice from his chin.

'Really good,' he replied. 'Did you hear about your granddaughter's idea?'

'Seems like a good one to me.'

Jack looked at the trees. 'Any idea what variety the apples are?'

Bert shook his head. 'The trees are pretty ancient. I guess it's one of the traditional types.'

'They're certainly not bitter to taste,' said Jack, before taking another bite.

'Did you want to see the press?' asked Bert.

'Yes, please. If you've got the time.'

Bert smiled. 'No rush here. That's the joy of working in a place like this.'

Jack had to agree that he had enjoyed the past few weeks working at Willow Tree Hall. Before then, he had been either on the road, in the office or in meetings. He felt so much better for being outside in the fresh air.

As they walked between the rows of apples, he could hear the bees buzzing as they found a few damaged fruits that had already fallen to the ground.

'You'll need to get a move on with the harvest,' said Bert, nodding at the fallen fruit. 'Apples need picking whilst it's still warm, and the weather's on the turn next week, apparently.'

They carried on towards a small shed at the end of the orchard.

'Haven't been in here for many a year,' said Bert.

Jack pulled open the wooden door, which came off in his hand. He quickly glanced over the roof and walls and, hoping it was relatively safe, went inside.

The smell of dust and rotten wood was the first thing he registered. The second was that the majority of the small space was taken up by something that was cloaked in a heavy cloth in the centre of the room.

Jack pulled off the cloth, causing a cloud of dust to fill the air. Once the air had settled, he could see a metal and wooden contraption in front of him. It looked like a sort of table, with an iron bucket on the top, a wheel on the side and a bucket underneath.

'How does it work?' asked Jack.

Bert stepped forward. 'Let me try and remember. Ah, that's right. Well, you place your apples in here.' He pointed at the funnel on the top. 'Then you turn the crank, that's the wheel, to cut up the apples.'

However, the wheel wouldn't turn, no matter how much effort and muscle Jack tried to use.

'Probably sat here for at least thirty years,' Bert told him.

'Maybe some grease would help,' said Jack.

Bert nodded. 'Aye. It might well do. If you can get the crank going, the cut apple pieces will drop into that bucket underneath.'

Jack peered down. 'It appears to have lots of gaps in the side.'

'That's right. That's for the juice to run out and into something underneath.' Bert frowned. 'There should be a pole, which is placed on the top and then turned to work the press.'

Jack realised that there was a small press underneath the funnel.

'I think it's missing a couple of pieces,' he said.

'More than likely,' Bert told him.

'OK, so once it's fixed up it may do a lot of the heavy pulping for us,' said Jack, thinking out loud.

'You'll still need a hand collecting all those apples,' Bert reminded him.

'You're right. I'll have to get on to that.'

'Well, you've picked the right week for it.'

Jack looked at him. 'Why's that?'

'Because it's the harvest moon this week,' said Bert.

Jack was nonplussed. 'The what?'

Bert rolled his eyes. 'I thought you were from the country, lad. It's a full moon for the next few nights. But, because of the time of year, the moonrise comes soon after sunset. Therefore, it's a much brighter moon than normal. Used to help farmers harvesting their summer-grown crops in the olden times.'

'Which is why it's the harvest moon,' said Jack, nodding thoughtfully.

'You might need all the light you can get with that many apples to pick,' said Bert, as they headed back into the September sunshine. 'But I'm sure you can do it, son.'

'Thanks,' said Jack, pleased that Lily's grandad seemed to approve of him. He glanced at his watch. 'I've got an appointment I'd better keep.'

'I'll see you later,' said Bert, walking off in the direction of the vegetable garden.

Jack took one final glance at the apple press. It had potential but he definitely needed a hand with fixing it.

He smiled to himself at the idea that was beginning to form in his mind. The apple press certainly needed fixing, and in a hurry.

Perhaps he could help out two family members that day, he thought. And, with that, he set off towards the main house, hoping that Lily would keep her promise.

###

Lily inwardly grimaced as Jack came around the corner of the main house.

The problem wasn't Jack. The problem was the promise that she had made to him.

'You're early,' he said, coming over to stand in front of her.

She glanced at the motorbike briefly. It looked shiny, handsome and dangerous, and everything that she had been running from for many years. Just like Jack, she told herself.

'About what I said,' she began. 'I've got so much to do today. You know, the band are staying on. There's all this apple stuff to discuss, let alone the whole album launch party now that we've fixed on the country and western theme.'

But Jack had already turned away to unlock the pannier on the side of the motorbike and bring out a helmet from the box.

'Then we'd better get going,' he told her, holding it out.

Lily was frantically shaking her head. 'I don't know, Jack.'

This was way out of her comfort zone. This was the old Lily. Not her. Not now. It wasn't as if she had to change all at once, was it?

'Come on,' he said, in a softer tone. 'Trust me. You used to like the bike.'

His words resonated through her and she hesitantly took the helmet from him. She watched him swing his leg over the bike and turn the key. The engine started up with a throaty roar, which made her ribs hum in vibration. He revved it a couple of times before putting on his own helmet.

Then he turned to look at her. She could see his cheeky smile through the visor.

Slowly, she brought the helmet down onto her head. 'Oh, God,' she muttered to herself, before swinging her leg over the bike and sitting down behind him.

'Hold on to me,' came the muffled command.

She moved her hands around his torso, feeling his warm skin under the T-shirt he was wearing. She didn't want to grip him too tightly, but as soon as the bike moved away and began to speed up, she wrapped her arms around him and held on for dear life.

She'd thought she would hate it. She'd been certain that she would have grown out of the thrill from so many years previously. She'd thought that it would be scary now that she was older and wiser. And it was, but only for a short while.

Instead, Lily actually found she liked the feeling of hurtling along in the fresh air, and soon opened her eyes to watch the world whizz past. She relished the soft early autumn colours of the leaves and the feeling of being outside.

All too quickly, however, they were pulling up outside a very familiar house. Her house.

Jack stopped the motorbike and switched off the engine, before pulling off his helmet.

She lifted her visor. 'What are we doing here?'

'I need an expert's opinion,' he told her. 'Do you think your dad would mind me picking his brains about something?'

Lily was stunned. 'Dad? Erm, I'm sure it would be OK,' she said slowly.

'Great.'

Jack clambered off the bike and Lily followed suit, taking off her helmet.

She tried to fluff up her no doubt flattened hair as surreptitiously as she could before she went up to the front door.

Not quite knowing what was about to happen, she hesitated before putting her key in the lock and going inside.

'Hello!' she called out.

'Hi!' came the reply from the front room. 'What are you doing here, love?'

Lily headed into the room and found her dad stationed in front of the television, as usual.

'Hey, Dad,' she said, heading over to give him a kiss on the cheek. 'You remember Jack Carter, don't you?'

Her dad gave a start as he realised that they weren't alone. 'Yes, of course,' he said, looking flustered. He glanced down at his amputated leg where, as Lily had suspected, his prosthetic leg wasn't attached.

'Hi, Richard,' said Jack, coming into the room to reach out his hand. 'How are you?'

'Nice to see you,' said her dad, shuffling in his armchair.

'Sorry to just turn up like this,' said Jack, sitting down on the sofa.

'Not at all,' her dad told them quickly. 'Can I get either of you a drink?'

'No, thanks,' said Jack.

He was all smiles and at ease, Lily realised. Perhaps he had guessed that her dad might be a bit on edge with a surprise visit.

'Let me just turn this off,' said her dad, grabbing the remote and switching off the television. 'So,' he said, into the sudden silence. 'How's it going up at the big house?'

'It's going well, isn't it?' said Lily, looking across at Jack for reassurance. She had no idea what this was about.

'You've heard about the orchard?' asked Jack, looking straight at Lily's dad.

Richard nodded. 'Lily's grandad told me all about the plans. It all sounds very exciting.'

'The trouble is that Bert showed me the apple press this morning,' carried on Jack. 'It's pretty ancient, but I think we can get it up and working. Unfortunately, there's a plate missing for the press. I was wondering whether you could take a look at it for us?'

'Me?' Lily's dad was startled. 'I don't know anything about apple presses.'

'Me neither,' said Jack, smiling. 'But it appears that what's missing is a piece of wood, and I was thinking that perhaps you could measure one up for us?'

'You can't manage it by yourself?' asked Lily's dad, looking concerned.

'If it were electrics, I'd be fine,' Jack told him. 'But I'm all fingers and thumbs when it comes to woodwork. I understand that's your area of expertise.'

Richard shook his head. 'Not for a long time, son.'

Now Lily understood why they had come.

'But you would remember, Dad,' she said quickly.

'Absolutely,' added Jack. 'And it would really help the family out. We need all the help we can get.'

Richard frowned as he thought hard. 'Well, maybe if you bring it here I could...'

Jack laughed. 'I'm afraid it's about a ton weight of cast iron! Perhaps you could come to the orchard instead?'

Richard gulped. 'I don't know...'

'I could take you to the main house,' said Lily, thinking quickly. 'It's not a long walk from the house. You know, with your leg attached.'

The silence stretched out as her dad thought it through.

Lily glanced at Jack for reassurance, but he sat patiently waiting, not wanting to push Richard any further.

Eventually, her dad spoke. 'Well, I suppose it might be nice to get some fresh air.'

Lily found tears pricking her eyes as she reached out to squeeze his hand with hers. 'That's great,' she said, her words a little tremulous from the surge of emotion she felt as she spoke.

'Excellent,' said Jack, nodding his approval. 'We'd be so grateful of the help.'

'What's all this?'

They all looked up with a start and Lily found her mum standing in the doorway.

'Hi, Mum,' said Lily, getting up to give her mum a kiss on the cheek. 'Dad's going to help Jack with the apple press up at Willow Tree Hall.'

Her mum gave a start. 'He is?' She looked at Jack for clarification.

'We really need his carpentry skills,' Jack told her.

Celia replied enthusiastically, 'Well, that sounds great. Very good. Eh, Richard?'

Her husband looked up at her. 'You think I'd be OK?'

Her mum looked at him with piercing green eyes. 'Absolutely,' she told him in a strong tone of voice. 'Jack wouldn't have asked you otherwise.'

Richard kept nodding whilst he looked back at Jack. 'OK,' he said, after a short silence.

'That's great,' said Jack. 'Are you free tomorrow morning to have a look at the press with me?'

'I am.'

Lily felt a little teary as she hugged her parents goodbye.

'You're going on the motorbike?' said her mum, looking over her shoulder at the Ducati parked by the side of the road.

'Yeah, yeah, I know,' began Lily.

But her mum was smiling mistily. 'Your dad had one, you know.'

Lily gave a start. 'He did?'

'But you both be careful,' said her mum, looking sternly at Jack.

'Absolutely,' said Jack.

Lily gave them a tentative wave goodbye and told her dad she would see him in the morning to take him to the Hall.

Then she slid behind Jack on the motorbike once more.

This time she was more aware of his body as she held on tight. The feel of his stomach muscles beneath her hands. The width of his shoulders as she leaned against him. The smell of his citrus-toned aftershave.

She realised that Jack had taken her the long way back to Willow Tree Hall, using the smaller, windier lanes. But she was enjoying it too much to care.

All too soon, they were heading back up the driveway and Lily felt a pang of disappointment.

She also found that she was breathless and couldn't put it down to just being on the back of the motorbike.

Jack dismounted first and took off his helmet, running a hand through his hair to fluff it up a bit.

Lily found she was smiling.

'That wasn't so bad, was it?' he asked.

She pulled off her own helmet and shook out her hair. 'It was OK,' she said. But she could feel how wide her grin was. 'Thanks,' she added. 'For what you're doing for my dad, I mean.'

'I just need a good carpenter,' said Jack, with a shrug. But the emotions behind his eyes betrayed him.

She reached out and took his hand in hers. 'I mean it,' she told him. 'Thank you.'

Before she could think straight, she stepped forward and kissed him gently on the lips. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but it was just as full of emotion.

As she stepped back, he smiled at her.

'Next time, you're doing the driving,' he told her, with an evil grin.

'No way,' she replied, with a small, nervous giggle.

She was still smiling as she walked away from him.

The gentle kiss was as good as it had always been. She sighed. Nobody had ever had that kind of effect on her but Jack.

She could feel herself falling in love with him all over again and felt helpless to stop it.

###

On the way to Willow Tree Hall the following day, Lily realised that her dad was more nervous than he had let on to Jack on the previous day.

'I still don't know about this.'

Lily glanced over at her dad as she turned her car into the high street. 'It'll be fine,' she told him for the fifth time since they had set off only a few minutes previously. 'It's just Jack. No one else. But he can't do this on his own and we need to be able to press the apples to make lots of nice drinks for the album launch.'

'There must be someone else who can do this,' muttered her dad, fiddling with his prosthetic leg.

'I think it's nice that he thought of you,' said Lily.

Her dad grunted in reply.

Better than nice, she thought. It was caring and thoughtful. And it made her fall in love with him a little bit more.

Lily turned the car into the long driveway leading up to the Hall.

'Isn't it lovely out here today?' she said, trying to change the subject.

Her dad carried on fidgeting and didn't reply.

She knew he was nervous. It had been a long time since he had left the house to do some actual carpentry work. It had been a few weeks since he had actually left the house at all, her mum had told her. But she thought it was a small but important step onto the road to recovery at last.

Lily gave up on the pep talk and enjoyed the view instead. The long leaves of the willow tree in front of the main hall were already tinged with yellow at the ends. Autumn would be here soon. The hedgerows were already turning brown and pale gold. The spectacular hints of reds and oranges would soon join them.

Lily parked the car in front of the Hall and was somewhat relieved to find Jack coming around the corner of the house to greet them.

'Morning,' he said.

Lily smiled. 'Morning,' she replied.

She wished her pulse would calm down whenever she saw him. She felt like a breathless teenager with a crush all over again. Perhaps it was just a crush, she told herself. Would that be so bad?

But as she watched Jack help her dad slowly and gently out of the car, her heart told her otherwise. This wasn't a crush. This was affection. Real affection.

Not love, she reminded herself. Well, perhaps a little bit.

'Good morning,' said a nearby voice.

They looked up to see Arthur coming over. As ever, he leaned on his walking stick as he made his slow way over to greet them.

'Good morning,' mumbled her dad, fiddling with his crutches so that he could shake Arthur's hand.

'I was just saying to Jack that I might come along with you, if that's alright,' Arthur told them. 'I like to get a small walk in each day and, to be honest, I haven't seen the apple press in a very long time.'

'That would be nice, wouldn't it, Dad?' said Lily, enthusiastically.

Her dad looked embarrassed. 'I'm not very fast.'

'Nor am I, Richard,' said Arthur. 'So we'll let the youngsters go first and take our time, shall we?'

Nobody could ever say no to Arthur when he was at his most congenial, so Lily and Jack walked around the house and across the back grounds, letting Arthur and her dad make their somewhat slower journey behind them.

'Dad's really nervous,' whispered Lily, once they were out of earshot.

'I understand,' said Jack. 'Don't worry.'

She sighed heavily, wishing that she could turn the clock back.

Jack put his arm around her and squeezed her in close to him. 'Try not to fret. This is a big step for him today.'

'I know,' she said, allowing herself the luxury of leaning into him for a brief moment.

Then she straightened up and let Jack open up the wooden gate in front of them.

The orchard came into view, alive once more with the buzzing of insects and birds flying from tree to tree. The leaves were now burnished gold from the long, dry summer.

'Oh, it's so pretty,' said Lily, looking down the rows of trees in front of them.

'Isn't it?' said Jack.

As she went past the trees, Lily noticed they were full to bursting with the ripened fruit. But then she began to count up the number of trees and realised the scale of the task ahead.

'How many trees are there?' she wondered.

'Exactly seventy-nine,' he told her.

'And how many apples do you think are on each tree?'

He shrugged. 'I'm not sure. Around twenty or thirty.'

Lily did some numbers in her head. 'So that would make maybe around 160 apples.'

Jack laughed. 'I think you're missing a nought from that.'

Lily was amazed. '1600 apples?' she said, staring around.

'At the very least,' he told her.

'Crikey.' Now she was concerned. 'How long is it going to take to pick them all?'

'I'm not sure,' he said. 'But your grandad said we're going to have to get a move on because the weather's turning at the weekend and we should apparently harvest them whilst it's still warm.'

'Why?'

He smiled. 'I have no idea, but I trust your grandad to know more about these things than I do.'

Lily glanced back at the gate and saw her dad and Arthur finally arrive in the orchard.

'Well, this takes me back,' said Richard, smiling as he looked around. 'We used to sneak in here and do a bit of scrumping when I was a lad.'

Arthur nodded. 'Oh, yes. I remember those days.'

'Well, they all look very healthy,' said her dad, reaching out to stroke the bark of the nearest tree.

'It always was a good crop,' said Arthur.

'Shall I show you the apple press?' asked Jack.

'Lead the way,' said Richard.

They all went together past the trees and into the small shed at the end of the orchard. Lily was pleased to watch her dad become more animated as he, Jack and Arthur discussed the repair of the apple press. It didn't appear to be a large job, but it certainly required a skilled carpenter.

Whilst Jack and her dad measured up for the required parts, Lily went back outside with Arthur.

They had walked ten or so paces when Lily stopped, suddenly overcome with emotion.

'It's good to see him out and about,' said Arthur softly, coming to stand next to her.

Lily's eyes filled with tears. 'Sorry,' she mumbled, wiping her eyes. 'You're right. I can't remember the last time he was outside like this.'

'It was a clever idea of Jack's,' said Arthur, offering her his handkerchief. 'And I'm sure once he has a small project like the apple press to concentrate on then he'll feel even better.'

'You're right,' said Lily. She looked across at the nearest tree. 'There are an awful lot of apples here.'

'There's no rush to pick them all,' Arthur told her. 'I don't think they're going anywhere any time soon.'

'The trouble is that Grandad apparently told Jack that they need to be picked this week before the bad weather arrives.'

'Ah, well, Bert would be right about these things.' Arthur frowned, his grey eyebrows knitting together in thought. 'Do you know, in the good old days, the whole village used to turn out for the apple harvest.'

'Really?'

Arthur smiled in memory. 'Oh, yes! It was such fun! I wonder if perhaps we could make a day of it, don't you think?'

'What's all this?' asked Richard, as he and Jack joined them outside the shed.

'Your daughter was concerned about the large harvest required,' said Arthur. 'Do you remember when we all used to help out?'

'Oh, yes,' said her dad, nodding. 'We used to carry on quite late into the night, from what I recall.'

'Bert mentioned the harvest moon is due the next couple of nights,' said Jack.

'Is it?' said Arthur. 'Then it sounds as if all of our stars have aligned just in time, wouldn't you say? I shall ask my sister to put the word out to see if there's enough people in the village to help out tomorrow.'

'That's a cracking idea,' said Richard, nodding his approval.

In fact, her dad was lively and animated the whole journey back from Willow Tree Hall and Lily couldn't help but smile at the contrast from the sullen man she had taken with her only a few hours previously.

###

Harvest day dawned bright and sunny. And thank goodness for that, thought Lily.

She stood in the middle of the orchard and mentally rolled up her sleeves. There were so many apples to harvest. And at that moment, it was just her.

She stood still for a second, relishing the peace where she could hear nothing but the soft wind rustling the many leaves on the trees.

But she was keeping everything crossed that the locals would all help out later and that the apples would be picked before the day was over.

The weatherman on the local news that morning had brought forward rain and high winds to the following day, so it was all or nothing today.

Her dad and Jack were working on the apple press, so for most of the morning it was just Lily to begin the harvest.

Despite the huge task ahead, she felt strangely calm. The sun was warm on her skin as she moved around the first tree. The air was alive with birdsong and insects. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

She took a moment to relish the beautiful countryside around her before grabbing one of the many buckets she had brought with her and reaching out to pick the first apple.

She had almost finished her first tree, except one lone apple remained high on a branch.

She stretched out onto her toes to try and grab it, but it was just out of reach and caused her stepladder to wobble alarmingly beneath her.

'Careful.'

She glanced down and found Jack had grabbed the ladder to steady it.

'What are you doing?' he asked, looking up at her.

'Trying to get that last apple,' she told him. 'Every single one needs to be harvested. But I can't reach it.'

He smiled up at her. 'So climb up there and grab it.'

She was taken aback. 'Me?'

'Didn't you ever climb a tree when you were younger?' he said, mockingly.

'Ha!' she said, lifting her leg and grabbing a nearby thick branch. 'You think I can't? I grew up here, remember!'

She found she could quite easily scramble up a few branches, and picked the lone apple that remained before climbing back down again.

'I'm impressed,' said Jack, as she came down the ladder to stand in front of him.

'I'm a country girl at heart,' she told him.

'You have a leaf in your hair,' he said, reaching out to remove it from where it was caught in one of her red strands.

Then he looked down at her face and she found he was staring at her with such intensity that she had to catch her breath.

She couldn't look away, even if she'd wanted to.

'Morning, all!'

They jumped apart guilty at the sound of Rose's shout across the orchard.

Jack gave her a ghost of a wink before stepping away.

'Morning, Rose,' said Lily, smiling and hoping her red cheeks could be easily put down to the warm air. 'Good morning, Arthur.'

'I have rallied the WI troops,' announced Rose. 'They shall be along shortly. Now, who's for coffee?' She waggled a thermos flask at them. 'Annie's bringing a picnic up for lunch.'

'We haven't started yet,' said Arthur in a pointed tone.

'The workers need energy,' said Rose. 'And failing that, I have my hip flask!'

Lily was thankful that Rose didn't start on the alcohol too early, as it meant they were able to clear a few more trees of their apples before Rose's WI group arrived later in the morning.

Just after midday, Sam brought Annie up in his Range Rover. The boot was full of lunch provisions, which they were all grateful for by that time.

They all sat either on rugs or on the fold-up chairs that they had brought and ate bread, cheese, ham, ripe tomatoes and fresh strawberries. It was a glorious picnic in the autumn sunshine and helped restore energy levels for the afternoon.

As the day wore on, they were joined by more and more people. Even Bert came along, bringing his wheelbarrow into which more apples could be placed.

The wheelbarrow was then used to move each bucket and crate full of apples into the shed at the end of the orchard, where they would be pressed.

Lily's dad came out of the shed later in the afternoon to announce that the press was up and working.

'It might need a bit of grease to get the crank turning smoothly,' he told Jack, wiping his hands on a cloth.

'That's great,' said Jack, shaking his hand. 'Thank you so much. You know, Will told me that he could do with a hand up at the barn in the next few days if you're interested.'

Her dad hesitated just a moment before saying, 'You know what? I am. I'll have a word with him later.'

Lily was pleased to see her dad looking so proud of himself and gave him a hug. 'My hero,' she told him. 'Are you tired, Dad? Do you want to go home?'

To her surprise, he shook his head. 'I can help,' he said. 'Besides, your mother's coming here after work to help.'

In fact, the number of helpers increased as the day wore on. Megan brought her children straight from school, and there were quite a few other families with children. Villagers, young and old, came to pick as many apples as they could.

Lauren arrived later in the afternoon with lots of cupcakes, which everyone feasted on.

'These are so good,' said Lily, wiping her lips of icing.

'Elderflower and lemon,' Lauren told her, holding out a plate for Megan to take. 'There's a strawberry one as well, if you want.'

Typically, Lauren tripped over something in the ground at the far end of the orchard and the cupcakes nearly ended up in the grass. But, luckily, Jack grabbed the plate and Lauren at the last minute.

The cupcakes helped everyone to keep going until the air began to cool and the schoolchildren were taken home for baths and bedtime.

Lily was amazed to see her mum appear later, armed with quiches, chicken drumsticks, salads, potatoes and rolls for dinner.

'Whenever do you get the time?' asked Rose, helping to set up a table nearby on which to lay out everything.

'I batch cook,' Celia told her. 'It's so easy.'

'Sounds great,' said Annie, sinking into a nearby chair. 'You'll have to give me a few tips.'

'Of course,' said Celia. 'I can always give you a hand stocking up the freezer before the baby comes.'

'Oh! That would be great!' said Annie, looking relieved.

Gradually, the number of trees left to be picked of their fruit lessened. With their stomachs full after dinner, everyone carried on filling and refilling any and every container that they could find.

Under the darkening sky, the air began to cool rapidly. Especially after the spectacular red sunset that heralded the end of the day.

But the night held one more surprise. Into the cloudless dark sky, a huge moon rose, casting its ethereal glow over the peaceful countryside below.

'I've never seen a moon like it,' said Lily, staring up at the huge orb against the inky black canvas of the sky.

'It's a harvest moon,' her mother told her. 'They're very special.'

'That's right,' said Bert, who had been standing nearby. 'It's only at this time of year that you see a full moon this big and colourful.'

'And you were right when you told me that farmers used to carry on their harvesting beneath the bright moonlight,' Jack told him.

Lily realised that the moon was casting such a glow around them that they would be easily able to finish harvesting the final trees under its bright light.

At some point she heard laughter and recognised her mum's voice. She looked over to see her parents giggling. She hadn't seen them like that for a very long time.

'It's the harvest moon,' said her grandad, who had also been watching nearby and looking pleased. 'It's about new beginnings.'

A fresh start, thought Lily. That's what it felt as if they had all been given these past few days and weeks.

With only her own family and the Harris family left by now, they carried on working late into the evening.

After a couple of hours, and with huge ceremony, Lily reached out and picked the final apple from the very last tree to a huge roar of approval and a round of applause.

'Thank you all so much,' Lily told them.

'Absolutely,' said Jack, coming to stand next to her. 'We would never have got it done without all of your help.'

'You're on your own with the apple press, though,' called out Sam to much laughter.

Jack laughed along with everyone.

Rose produced a couple of bottles of champagne from somewhere and they all toasted the harvest and their hard work.

As the family began to wend their weary way home, Lily looked across at her parents. They were arm in arm, her mum resting her head on her dad's shoulder. There was a look of contentment on Celia's face, as if she had found peace at least.

Lily gave them both a hug before they, too, left to head home.

And then it was just Lily and Jack, alone in the orchard.

'What a day,' she said, rubbing her aching neck and shoulders.

'Absolutely,' said Jack. He stared up at the sky.

She followed his gaze and they both looked up at the huge moon above them, surrounded by stars sparkling in the night sky.

'It's so beautiful,' said Lily.

'I Googled harvest moons after your grandad told me about them,' Jack told her. 'As well as allowing us to harvest late at night, it's also a symbol for new beginnings. A fresh start after the harvest when everything old is taken away and life begins anew.'

'That's very poetic,' she teased.

But Jack was very serious when he looked down at her.

'Talking of new beginnings,' he began. 'There's something I need to tell you.'

She grew worried at his solemn face. 'What is it?'

He took a deep breath. 'The prom.'

Lily shook her head. 'Not now,' she told him. 'It's been such a nice day.'

'Just let me tell you what happened,' he said, taking her by the hands so he was standing in front of her.

She stood silent, waiting.

'I had actually planned to take you to the prom,' he began. 'Honestly, that's the truth. But, early that afternoon, my birth dad got in touch.'

'He did?' Lily was shocked.

Jack sighed. 'He tracked me down. I was so ready to trust him. So convinced that he would want to rebuild a relationship between us. But I was wrong. So wrong.'

'What did he say?' asked Lily.

'He just wanted money,' Jack told her in a dull tone. 'He'd seen the nice, large home my adoptive parents had and figured I would be able to share the wealth around. I told him where to go, of course.'

Lily stood and waited for him to carry on.

'I tried to put it behind me. Carry on with our plans for the evening. But, by the time I got to your house, I was really angry. I was so mixed up that I ended up taking it out on the wrong person.'

Lily gulped as he reached out to stroke her face. 'I was so cross with the unfairness of it all. It was like all the bitterness just spilled out of me and you ended up on the receiving end. I'm so sorry.'

She reached up to hold his hand in hers briefly against her cheek. She couldn't be mad at him any longer.

'Where did you go afterwards?' asked Lily. She had always wanted to know what had happened to him next.

Jack hung his head, as if in shame. 'I went home and shouted at my adoptive parents as well. I was so riled up. Then I got straight on my motorbike and took off. I didn't stop until I needed to fill up with petrol, and by that stage I was at Dover.'

'Dover?'

'I went around Europe. It was the summer and I'd finished my apprenticeship, so I just took off. When I came back, I heard about the accident and wanted to find you, to tell you how sorry I was that I wasn't there to help. But I was so ashamed and it was so late. Too late for apologies.' He suddenly looked up at her. 'That was wrong of me. It's never too late to say sorry. So I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you all. Forgive me.'

She stared up at him: at the face that was older and yet the pain was still raw, etched into the soft lines.

She let go of his hand to reach up to stroke his cheek. He trapped her hand with his and held it against his warm skin. Just like she had done with his.

'I should have told you,' he said, his voice raw with emotion. 'You were the only one I'd ever let close and I pushed you away...'

His voice trailed off.

She couldn't stop herself. She pulled him against her and reached up so that their lips could meet.

She felt him moan against her mouth as her hands slipped around his broad shoulders. She moaned too as she let one hand drift up into his hair. The other kept her body pressed up against his, neither breaking the kiss that bound them.

As the kiss deepened, their bodies began to sway back and forth in the soft breeze that had begun to blow across the orchard. Being so close, she could feel the hard muscles of his body crushed against hers.

Finally, he broke the kiss. His face inches from hers, she realised he was equally as breathless as she was.

They didn't need to say anything. Didn't want to. So they both smiled at each other and walked hand in hand through the orchard, the harvest moon still shining down on them as they went.

###

Jack looked at the huge pile of apples in the shed next to the restored press, but his mind wasn't really on anything but Lily.

They had shared another kiss. Under the harvest moon, she had kissed him and it had been wonderful. Another shared moment together. Another step forward in their relationship, he was hoping. He was glad he had finally told her about the prom and his reasons for leaving her there.

He was hoping that he was forgiven. Her kiss had certainly told him that perhaps she had. If only he could forgive himself, he thought. Or perhaps that was the cost of his guilt. That he had to carry it with him always.

'Hello.'

Smiling, he turned around and found Lily watching him from the doorway.

'Hello yourself,' he replied.

'That's a mighty big pile of apples you've got there,' she said, grinning.

He noted the blush on her cheeks, almost as ruby red as the apples themselves.

'Let's hope we can get some of them pressed today,' he told her. 'Your grandad's already hooked up a long hose outside so we can wash them.'

'OK. I'll get going on that,' she said. 'I brought a colander with me so they're not completely soggy when they go into the press.'

'And I've got a chopping board so we can cut out any rotten bits as well as core them.'

They quickly established a routine. Lily washed down a pile of apples before quickly chopping them. Jack then took the prepared apples and placed them into the funnel of the apple press. As he turned the crank, the wheel chopped up the pieces, which then dropped into the large bucket at the bottom of the funnel.

Once the bucket was full of the chopped apples, Jack then turned the lever that Lily's dad had made, which pressed the fruit down, causing the juice to run out of the slats in the sides of the bucket and into yet another container.

During the first pressing, Lily held out her finger to catch a droplet of apple juice. She sucked on her finger to taste it.

'Mmm,' she said, nodding her approval. 'That tastes wonderful.'

'Does it?' he asked, staring at her bottom lip, which had a drop of apple juice still on it.

How had he ever thought that she had turned ice-cold? Lily was warm and kind. And incredibly sexy.

He turned away to gulp down some water from a bottle he had brought with him, but it did

nothing to cool down his quickening pulse.

He was almost grateful when his phone rang out. Except it was his mother calling.

'Excuse me,' he said, quickly heading outside into the fresh air.

The weather had definitely turned colder and the clouds were heavy, threatening rain.

'How are you both?' he asked, after saying hello. 'Are you all set for the birthday tomorrow night?'

'You remembered!' said his mother, sounding pleased. 'Well, I've booked the theatre in Aldwych town in the evening. We thought we might have an early dinner beforehand somewhere.'

To Jack's own surprise, he found himself suggesting that he join them for the meal.

'Are you sure you can spare the time?' asked his mother, sounding thrilled.

In anyone else, he would have expected a sarcastic tone but none came. His parents would just be pleased to see him. The guilt inside him increased tenfold.

'Of course,' he replied. 'I might even bring someone with me,' he carried on, glancing back to where Lily was chopping up the apples inside the shed.

He had no idea why he was even suggesting the idea.

'How lovely,' said his mother. 'It would be very nice to meet any of your friends.'

You've already met, he thought to himself, but he didn't say anything.

'I'll book a table at The Ivy in Aldwych,' he told her.

'Well, that would be a real treat!' she replied. He could feel her smiling down the phone. 'I'd better make sure your father wears a tie!'

They signed off with Jack promising to text her the time of their pre-theatre dinner.

He had no trouble reserving a table, especially at the early hour of half past five in the afternoon.

He walked back into the shed and found Lily looking up at him.

'It was my mother,' he told her. 'It's my dad's birthday tomorrow. They've got tickets for the theatre.'

'When was the last time you saw them?' she asked, standing up to stretch her back.

She was now so close to him that he could reach out and hold a length of long red hair that was on her shoulder.

'Look, it's complicated,' he told her, still holding the strand between his fingers.

'Perhaps only to you,' she said.

With a groan, he pulled her up against him and dropped his mouth onto hers. The kiss was one of the sweetest he had ever known. He had missed having her in his arms, he realised, and it had only been twelve hours or so. Or perhaps he had just wanted not to admit that to himself.

Lily pulled away slightly to look at him with one eyebrow raised.

'It's the only way I can think of to stop you asking so many questions,' he murmured, reaching for her once more.

'Avoidance tactics,' she told him, but she put her arms around his neck as she said it to keep him close.

He looked down at her. 'Why don't you come with me to have dinner with them before the theatre?'

'Me? To dinner with your parents?' She looked astonished. 'Don't you want to see them on your own?'

'They like you,' he told her.

She was quiet for a moment before nodding. 'OK,' she said. 'Thank you.' She gave him a little shove as she went back to her chopping. 'We'd better crack on with the job in hand. No more avoidance tactics,' she told him.

But as he caught the soft smile playing on her lips, he realised that he was beginning to look forward to seeing her every day. He was enjoying their kisses. Those snatched moments together.

Was it love? He had no idea.

As he poured the next load of apples into the funnel, he realised that he felt scared. What if she didn't feel the same way?

He didn't know his own heart. How could he be expected to know what was going on in hers?

###

'Well, this is very nice,' said Joan.

Nice was perhaps a bit of an understatement, thought Lily as she looked around. The Ivy was very pretty. Painted frescoes covered the ceiling and walls, which were also draped with garland chandeliers and neoclassical statues.

She watched Joan shuffle in her seat a little self-consciously. It was quite an ostentatious place to meet for dinner for someone who was more at home in a Barbour and wellies in their little country cottage from what Lily could remember.

Joan was wearing a peach-coloured jacket, along with a pretty silver brooch and a string of pearls. But her rough hands indicated a love of the garden. Lily wondered why on earth Jack had chosen such a place that appeared to make his parents feel so uncomfortable.

Peter Carter looked equally out of place, although he was nodding his head enthusiastically and saying, 'Absolutely,' in agreement with his wife.

He was wearing a battered blazer and a maroon tie from the village cricket team that he supported. He, too, had a warm smile and ruddy cheeks from a lifetime spent outside.

Lily knew that they weren't rich, but Peter's job had enabled them to be able to send Jack to his expensive boarding school.

'I thought it would be a nice treat,' said Jack, with a small frown as his mother continued to shuffle in her seat.

He had changed the instant that they had met his parents. Suddenly, it was as if his invisible barriers had been raised. He was cool, distant even. He had left Lily to make the small talk with his parents whilst he stayed mostly silent.

Thankfully, they all knew each other quite well and were able to chat about the village and neighbours.

They were meeting early for dinner at 5.30 p.m. as his parents had theatre reservations.

'Which show are you going to see tonight?' asked Lily.

Peter smiled. 'I promised my wife, just after we were married, that I would take her to see The Sound of Music.'

'It's only taken him forty years to make good on his promise,' said Joan, rolling her eyes.

'Our anniversary isn't until next month,' said Peter. 'I've still got thirty-five days left to defend my honour.'

'It's your ruby wedding anniversary next month?' said Lily in surprise.

'I know,' said Peter, with a wink. 'I don't look old enough to have been married that long.'

Joan gave him a nudge with her elbow. 'You old fool.'

'No, I meant how wonderful,' said Lily, smiling. 'You should have a party.'

She glanced at Jack, who was resolutely mute as he checked his iPhone.

'We don't like to make a fuss,' said Joan, quickly.

Lily noted that both of his parents kept looking at their son as if to engage him in conversation. But he had completely shut down.

So it was left to Lily to continue the light chatter.

'Well, I've heard this production is amazing,' she said in a bright tone. 'And you can't beat "Edelweiss", can you?'

'Absolutely,' said Joan, giving her a warm and grateful smile.

They carried on chatting, with Jack remaining engrossed in his mobile screen until their dinner plates had been cleared away.

'Excuse me,' he said, quickly getting up. 'I must make a phone call.'

As he left the table, the three of them sighed at the same time.

'I'm sorry,' said Lily, quickly. 'I don't know what's got into him this afternoon. He's been fine recently.'

Joan shook her head sadly. 'It's us,' she said, in a hushed tone.

Peter reached out to squeeze his wife's hand. 'We're used to it,' he said.

'But why?' asked Lily. 'When you gave him so much to be thankful for?'

'I think, sometimes, that he's embarrassed,' said Joan. 'That he knows that we remember what it was like for him before we adopted him.'

'How bad was it?' asked Lily, unable to prevent herself from asking.

'Terrible,' said Peter, looking distraught. 'He was covered in bruises when we first met him.'

'When I think about what a rotten start in life he had,' said Joan tremulously, 'Well, it makes my blood boil! Some people don't deserve to have children when there are so many others, like myself, who would love that child from the day they were born. If only they had been given the chance.' Her voice trembled with emotion, which she shook away with a shake of her head. 'But that's a different story.'

'We couldn't have children,' said Peter, looking downcast. 'So we adopted Jack.'

'We understand why he acts this way,' said Joan, becoming teary. 'We truly do. We did what we could. Gave him the best education that we could afford. We gave him a new start in life. And that's fine. We can live with that, because he deserved it.'

But Lily was dismayed. This nice couple only wanted a child to care for, having been denied the chance by nature.

And this was how Jack repaid them? She glanced over to where she could see him pacing up and down in the foyer, talking into his mobile.

'Excuse me,' she said, standing up. 'I'll be back in a minute.'

She walked through the busy restaurant with a steely look in her eyes.

*

Jack was deep in conversation with Will when the phone was suddenly snatched out of his hand.

'He'll call you back,' said Lily into the mobile before disconnecting the call.

'What on earth are you doing?' he asked, shocked.

'Come with me,' she hissed at him, taking his hand and dragging him behind one of the many grand pillars in the foyer.

Once they were mostly hidden from view, she turned to face him and he realised that she was incandescent with rage.

'What are you doing?' she said, keeping her voice down, but the tone was still angry. 'You wanted me to have dinner with your parents and yet you've sat there and barely said a word. You're incredibly rude, staring at your mobile. It's like you've regressed back into that angry teenager I knew all those years ago.'

'You know nothing about it,' he said, glaring down at her.

'I know everything,' she replied. 'After all, you told me, didn't you? But what I don't get is why you would treat them this way. God, they're so on edge I wouldn't be surprised if they need a stiff drink after this!'

'They're fine,' he snapped.

'Of course they're not fine,' she said, in an exasperated tone. 'Any fool could see that. For a start, what on earth were you thinking bringing them here? Even I can see that the whole place makes them feel uncomfortable.'

'I didn't think—' he began to say, but she interrupted him.

'No, I don't suppose you ever think about them,' she carried on. 'About the agonies they go through trying not to impose on your life. The life that they gave you!'

She stopped, to catch her breath. Her green eyes were glittering with anger and frustration.

'Now, listen,' he said, reaching out to grab her elbow. 'You don't understand a thing about me.'

'I understand plenty,' she told him. 'But they're not the bad guys here.' She took a deep breath. 'Your birth parents were rubbish. Unbelievably awful. And for that I'm truly sorry for you. But Joan and Peter are a sweet couple who just wanted a child to love. They chose you! They didn't have to but they did. You could have been passed by. Have you any idea how lucky you are?'

'I'm fully aware of the difficulties adopting me caused in their lives,' he said between clenched teeth.

'And yet you still treat them with complete indifference,' she told him, rolling her eyes.

'Because they're going to give up on me eventually, just like everyone else,' he retorted before he could think.

He paused and shook his head. Had he really just said that aloud?

Lily took a sharp intake of breath. 'My God,' she whispered. 'You still think they're going to leave you? Even after all this time?'

He shrugged his shoulders. 'Everyone leaves eventually.'

'But you're the one pushing them away,' she said, shaking her head sadly. 'Not the other way round. They want to be in your life. Is this what you do with everyone in your life?'

He grabbed her and pulled her close to him. 'Does this look as if I'm pushing everyone away?' he said, in a fierce tone.

'You did once. Now you're just doing it to prove me wrong. But you know I'm right.' She reached out and stroked his cheek with her hand. 'Listen to me,' she told him, her tone much softer now. 'Those are good people in there. They're not going anywhere. You have to trust them. It's time to put your faith in them.'

He reached out and imprisoned the hand against his cheek with his. 'I don't know if I can,' he told her. He barely recognised his own voice as it sounded so hoarse.

'You can do anything you put your mind to, Jack Carter,' she told him, with a gentle smile. 'Look at everything you've achieved. Everything you've fought against. Everyone you've helped. Surely you can do this one small thing and have a nice dinner with your parents?'

'For you?' he said. 'I'll try.'

She shook her head. 'Don't do it for me. Do it for yourself,' she told him. She reached up to brush her lips against his cheek. 'I'm going to the ladies'. And you're going back in there to make amends.'

They locked eyes for a second before she turned and walked away.

Jack took a deep breath before he walked back into the restaurant, forcing himself to relax.

He looked at his parents, holding hands at the table. He hadn't booked them a table at The Ivy to impress them. They knew his humble beginnings and they weren't snobs, anyway. But he had wanted it to be a treat.

Sitting down, he took a grateful gulp of wine from his glass to give him the courage to speak the words that he needed to say. Words that Lily had encouraged him to say. If only she were here to give him that same strength now.

But this was something he had to face.

'There's something I want to say,' he began, trying to keep his tone deliberately casual.

He watched his parents exchange a worried look, but they stayed silent.

'I just thought I should tell you...' His voice trailed off into a croak, so he cleared his throat and tried again. 'I've come to realise that...'

There was silence for a moment. He had to do this. He had to say something after all these years. What if he never got the chance again? What if the fates weren't in his favour? He knew he would regret never saying the words that had to be said aloud.

'What is it, son?' asked Peter, gently.

Jack cleared his throat. 'I've been thinking recently that I never said thank you. For taking me on. For adopting me all those years ago.'

The air stilled around the table as his words sunk in.

'And I should have done,' he carried on. 'I should have said thank you a long time ago.'

With a tear rolling down her cheek, Joan reached out and took his hand. For once, he made himself not pull his own away in response. He let her continue to squeeze his hand as she spoke.

'I don't know how you put up with me,' said Jack, trying and failing to inject some humour into the conversation. 'It must have been a nightmare. I was so angry.'

'And with good reason!' said his father in a cross tone. 'But look at what you've accomplished since then.'

'Thanks to the good education that you paid for,' added Jack.

Peter shrugged his shoulders. 'That's just books and stuff,' he said, shaking his head. 'That didn't give you the generous heart and the need to help people out. Something you've done so much recently. That's what makes me proud. You could have said to hell with the world. Nobody's ever been good to me so why should I bother? But you didn't. You fight for them. And that's what makes you the man you are.'

He should have known that they would never stop loving him. That they had signed up to be his parents for life.

Joan was still mopping up her tears when Lily returned to the table. He was grateful that she pretended not to notice as she sat down. That she had allowed him the space to say his words in private.

Jack glanced over at her and gave her a brief smile before looking back at his parents. 'So, this big wedding anniversary of yours? We should do something to celebrate,' he said. 'How about a party?'

His parents fell silent, their mouths open in shock. 'You want to do that for us?' asked Joan.

Jack looked at Lily, who was nodding enthusiastically at him. 'Of course,' he said, quickly. 'I think it's the least I can do for such a special celebration. After all, isn't that what sons do?'

The tears flowed once more before Joan finally managed to pull herself together.

'You realise that I'll never be able to dine in here ever again,' said Jack, but he reached out to take his mother's hand to soften his words. 'You've ruined my carefully cultivated reputation as a hard, unfeeling property developer.'

Joan squeezed his hand in reply. 'You were never that,' she told him.

'So do you often get time to go to the theatre?' said Lily, once the high emotion around the table had settled down again.

Jack was grateful for her subtlety in steering the conversation on to more unemotional topics.

He looked at the woman sitting beside him at the table. All the private moments they had shared these past few weeks kept running through his mind. He had finally discovered the real Lily beneath the brittle outside.

And it turned out she was an incredibly special woman. He realised with a start that she was the one that everyone talked about. And he had no idea what to do about it.

###

The lead-up to the album launch was incredibly hectic, but Lily found herself enjoying every moment.

Her lists helped, of course. But this time the event meant something to her as opposed to one for some meaningless corporate company.

The personal touch was helped along by Skye, who was very artistic and in charge of, in the words of Alex, 'making the place look pretty'.

Alex was also around as often as possible and Lily found she enjoyed his company.

'Shout out to my ex,' sang Alex, along with the radio that was switched on in the kitchen.

'Too many of them,' murmured Annie, with a smile on her face.

'What design is that?' asked Skye, taking the jam jar from him and peering at the fresh gold paint on the outside.

'It's an ear of corn,' Alex told her.

Skye's eyebrows shot up. 'Is that what it's supposed to be? Perhaps we can make it into a leaf of some sort,' she said.

'Rubbish,' said Alex, snatching the jar from her. 'It's very artistic. Hey, Jack!' he called out across the kitchen. 'What do you think this looks like?'

Lily looked up from her phone to see Jack walking in through the back door. She found herself blushing as she seemed to do whenever he was nearby these days.

It had all started with those couple of shared kisses. And then the dinner with his parents where she had pushed him into a reconciliation. Now she saw him each and every day. In fact, she looked forward to it every morning and it was the highlight of her day.

But it most certainly wasn't love, she reminded herself. That was all in the past. So they'd had a couple of kisses. So what? Jack wasn't one for serious relationships and nor was she.

However, she couldn't stop her eyes from following him across the room to peer at the jar that Alex was holding out.

'Is it modern art?' asked Jack.

'It's an ear of corn,' Alex told him, with a huff.

Jack broke into a wide grin. 'If you say so, mate.' He wandered across to where Lily was standing at the kitchen counter. 'All the apple juice and pulp are loaded up in the garage. Were you able to get hold of all those spirits?'

Lily nodded. 'All except the gin, which is arriving later.'

Jack was going to be the barman on the night of the launch, under Lily's supervision, and make the apple-based cocktails to her strict recipe.

'How's the barn looking?' asked Lily.

'Good,' said Jack. 'The electricity's done, so we're just sorting out the sound so that the lads can sing a tune or two on the night.'

'Do you think I'll be able to get them to change out of their leathers into those nice suits again?' called out Alex.

'It's a country and western theme,' Jack reminded him. 'Nobody's going to be wearing suits.'

'More's the pity,' sighed Alex.

'Maybe you'll find a cowboy at the party to roll around in the hay with,' said Jack, grinning.

'I can wish, can't I?' said Alex.

Jack gave Lily a wink and headed outside.

She gulped and tried not to think about what would happen if she and Jack were to be left alone in a hayloft.

'He's so cheerful at the moment,' said Alex. 'I miss mean and moody Jack Carter.'

'Maybe he's just happier these days,' said Lily.

'Maybe,' said Alex, staring at her. 'I wonder what or who could be responsible for this transformation.'

'No idea,' said Lily, hiding her red cheeks as she stared down at the phone once more.

'I remember him sneaking off from school to meet you,' said Alex, leaning back in his chair.

'How do you know it was me he was meeting?' asked Lily, unable to prevent herself from looking up from her list.

'Because I asked him a few weeks ago,' said Alex. 'He always came back to school a bit, I don't know, calmer after seeing you. Which was saying something in those days.'

'Was he really wild?' asked Annie.

Alex shook his head. 'Not really. Just desperately unhappy, I think. He'd been fighting against everyone and everything for so long that I don't think he knew any different. Of course, that worked in my favour too.'

'What do you mean?' asked Annie.

'He fought off a load of bullies for me once,' said Alex.

'No!' said Skye.

'Oh, yes,' said Alex, grimacing at the memory. 'I was cornered in the changing rooms. They were trying to drown my head in the sink. Trying to make me straight, I think they said. Idiots. Anyway, Jack came charging in and took the lot of them on. He won as well. They never bullied me again.' He smiled at Lily. 'Our hero.'

Lily's heart nearly burst at the thought of Jack taking on the bullies for Alex. Despite the hard shell, she had always sensed the vulnerability underneath. And the compassionate heart.

'I'm sure he had quite a few girlfriends in those days,' she found herself saying.

But Alex shook his head. 'It was only ever you,' he told her.

Lily gulped. It didn't mean anything, she reminded herself. Jack was too untrusting to ever have a serious relationship with anyone, even her.

They were just friends. Really good friends who kissed.

And she wondered when the next kiss would come and tried to ignore the ache in her heart for how long that might be.

###

The afternoon of the album launch party was a lovely autumnal day.

Lily looked out of the barn, where a heavy dew glistened on the cobwebs strung across the nearby bushes. The leaves in the trees were beginning to turn gold and red, making the whole of the countryside a fiery display of colour.

'It's cold out there, though,' said Sam, with a shiver. 'We'll need to get that bonfire and fire pit going early to keep warm.'

Annie rubbed her tummy as she sat down on a bale of straw. 'Thankfully, the baby seems to be doing that all by him- or herself.'

'Five days and counting,' said Sam, giving her a kiss.

'It's too early for all that heterosexual stuff,' said Alex, coming around the corner with a large box.

'What's that?' asked Sam.

'Cowboy hats,' Alex told him. 'And don't ask how or where I got them from.'

'As long as no cowboys were harmed in the process,' drawled Will, who was banging some more nails into the stage nearby.

Alex cackled as he put down the box. 'I wish!' He looked around the barn and nodded approvingly. 'This looks great.'

Lily followed his gaze and agreed with him.

Will and Jack had finished renovating the barn, but that was just the empty shell. Bunting in soft pastel colours had been strung across the beams, along with twinkling fairy lights. Balloons, also in pastel colours, had been tied to the beams.

Seating had arrived courtesy of a local farmer, who had loaned them some hay bales, on top of which Lily had ensured that there were a few rugs and checked cloths.

As it was a dry evening ahead, half had been placed around the barn and the other half outside. In addition, there were numerous wooden tables of varying sizes, all decorated with jam jars filled with tea lights, more fairy lights and checked tablecloths.

'Very pretty,' said Alex, giving Lily a nudge. 'Well done.'

'The decorations are all down to Skye. I just told her how many of each type.'

'But the signposts were your idea, weren't they?' asked Alex.

Lily nodded. 'But Skye decorated them.'

With such vast grounds, Lily had thought that various signs would be needed to direct the journalists and other partygoers who had been invited. Jack had discovered some old planks of wood, which he had nailed onto posts. Skye had then written neatly on each one which direction everyone was to head in.

Nearby, there were a couple of long tables onto which the cocktails would be served. The apple juice had been decanted into a vast number of jugs and vessels, in front of which were all the spirits and soft-drink mixers that would be required. Lily had asked Skye to write up some suggested cocktail menus for the apple drinks.

A barbeque was all ready to be lit and Lauren had spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen, baking fresh rolls and cutting up salad. Jacket potatoes were being warmed in the oven and would be wrapped up in tinfoil later and brought out to be served.

Lily checked her watch. There was about an hour and a half to go before everyone was due to arrive. Everything seemed to be ready, except one person was missing.

'Where's Jack?' she asked, looking around.

'He said something about more apples,' said Will. 'Went across to the shed, I think.'

Lily wondered whether he needed a hand and so headed across the back grounds towards the orchard. Sam was right about it being cooler, she thought, pulling her denim jacket around her a little tighter. She was wearing jeans and a V-neck jumper, and was hoping that would keep her warm enough later as the evening wore on.

She pushed open the gate to the orchard and went through. Bare of all their apples, the leaves on the trees were beginning to drop now. Looking around, she still couldn't believe that they'd managed to pick so many apples in one day. Thanks to the harvest moon, she reminded herself.

She had almost reached the shed when the door suddenly opened and Jack appeared, holding a barrel.

'Hey,' she said. 'I thought you might need a hand.'

'Thanks, but I've got this,' he told her.

'Do we need more apples?' she said, peering into the barrel and finding it half full.

'I thought I'd better pick up the last few, just in case the shed falls apart in those high winds tomorrow.' He put down the barrel and smiled. 'Here's hoping it's a sell-out, anyway.'

Lily frowned. 'I hadn't thought about people not showing up,' she said. 'What if you're right?'

'They'll show,' he told her, laughing. 'Rock stars in the middle of the countryside. Who's not going to want to see that?'

Lily laughed and went to turn away, but as she did so she caught her foot on something and tumbled to the ground.

'You alright?' said Jack, holding out a hand to pull her up again. 'Have you been trying out the cocktails already?'

'I wish,' said Lily. 'No, I tripped over something.'

'Probably a tree root,' said Jack. But then he frowned at something near her feet. 'What's that?'

He reached down and tugged at something in the ground. Lily saw a glint of something silver in the earth. After a bit more pulling and effort, finally the object was freed. Jack sat back on the ground and stared at the large article in his hands.

'What is it?' asked Lily, bending down.

Jack wiped the earth from the flat, round object. 'Looks like some kind of plate,' he said.

'What's it doing in the ground?' said Lily.

'No idea,' said Jack, standing up. 'Anyway, we haven't got time for this at the moment. I'll show it to Arthur later and let him have a look at it.'

He placed the flat object on top of the barrel and carried it back towards the shed. As they walked, Lily glanced across at Willow Tree Hall and didn't think it had ever looked prettier. It seemed to glow a dusky red, reflected from the setting sun.

'By the way,' said Jack as they neared the barn, 'put my name down for a dance later.'

Lily raised her eyebrows. 'I thought we were working tonight.'

'Remember what I said about living as well,' Jack told her before disappearing into the barn.

Lily found she couldn't stop smiling as she headed towards the main house, watching as a faint wisp of smoke began to rise from the bonfire.

Whatever happened that evening, whether the album launch was a huge success or not, she was pretty sure her highlight was going to be dancing with Jack.

She was clinging on to the tiny ray of hope he'd offered her when he'd opened up enough to ask her to dance. Just maybe there was a future for them after all this time.

###

The album launch was a huge success. Everyone who had been invited actually turned up, many of them with their families.

Arthur had unearthed many sets of croquet and bowls, which were keeping the children occupied in any quiet moments. Will and Tom were busy on the barbeque serving up the food, and Lily was behind the bar with Jack serving up the drinks.

Annie and Skye were greeting everyone as they arrived with smiles and cowboy hats to be handed out.

Contrary to Alex's own opinion, Hazy Memory had actually turned up wearing jeans with their leather jackets and looked very relaxed the whole evening.

Perhaps a little too relaxed, thought Lily, as she overhead their various conversations whilst serving out the drinks.

'It's a lovely setting,' one of the music journalists was saying.

'Yeah,' said Mick, nodding. 'It's great to be here. Actually, it's great to be anywhere after surviving all the drink and drugs we've done over the years, to be honest.'

Lily glanced over to where Sam was grimacing and shaking his head nearby.

'The album's all about heart and soul,' carried on Mick. 'Like this place.'

'It's certainly very beautiful,' agreed the journalist. 'So, underneath all that leather you normally wear, you're just a simple farmer?'

'Well, I've always appreciated nature,' croaked Mick, giving Lily a leer and a wink.

She quickly turned away to take the apple martini from Jack that he had just mixed.

'Better make these a bit stronger,' she murmured to him. 'Then they might forget these interviews.'

He laughed. 'I think it's Sam who needs the strong drink.'

Lily handed over the cocktail to another member of the press who was in discussion with Howard the drummer.

'I've been rich and I've been poor,' Howard was saying. 'Rich is better, you know what I mean?'

At this point, Sam rushed over and persuaded the band that perhaps it was time for some music rather than talking.

The lights from inside the barn twinkled as the band took their places behind the microphones. As Lily carried on serving the drinks, familiar melodies drifted out to mingle with the sweet smoke rising from the small bonfire nearby.

Eventually, everyone squeezed into the barn to dance and enjoy the music. So Lily and Jack joined them, leaving the cocktails set out ready for anyone to help themselves.

The band were on the stage singing 'Sweet Home Alabama', but Lily realised they had changed the words to 'sweet home Willow Tree Hall' instead.

After a huge round of applause at the end of the song, Mick said, 'We've travelled around the world, but this is the only place that feels truly like home to us. So raise a glass if you've got one to Willow Tree Hall and the Harris family. We love 'em all.'

They began to sing 'Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue', which was a slower tempo. Lily was pleased to see her dad walk slowly onto the dancefloor, hand in hand with her mum. She watched her parents move slowly in time to the music. Ever since he had worked on the apple press, her dad had begun to use his carpentry skills more and more. Will had asked him to make some tables for what might possibly become a tea room in time, and he was also beginning to pick up odd jobs around the village. Therefore, her dad was getting out of the house and, in doing so, his overall mood was far more positive.

Her mum was also up at the Hall more frequently, as she had been batch-cooking various meals to help Annie out for when the baby finally arrived. There was even talk of her becoming a part-time cook which would mean that she could reduce her hours at the supermarket.

Both her parents were looking more relaxed and smiling more than Lily could remember. Perhaps at last they were all moving forward.

The barn was getting pretty crowded, Lily realised. Feeling a warm hand enclose hers, she looked around to find Jack standing next to her.

He nodded with his head to lead her outside, but they had only gone a few steps when Arthur appeared in front of them.

'Well, it all appears to have gone swimmingly well,' he told them.

'It does,' said Jack. 'Did you enjoy your apple and elderflower gin?'

'It was delicious,' said Arthur, nodding. 'It was mixed superbly, of course, but I like to think that the Willow Tree Hall apples gave it the extra difference.'

'I'm sure they did,' Jack told him.

'By the way,' carried on Arthur, 'I showed that plate you found to my accountant, who was also here tonight. He has an interest in these kinds of things. He took some photos on his phone and says he'll look into it for us.'

'That's great,' said Jack. 'Maybe it'll be worth something.'

'Everything I already have is priceless,' said Arthur, looking across the grounds to the Hall. It looks very pretty, lit from within. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm promised a dance by both of my granddaughters-in-law.'

Arthur wandered inside the barn whilst Jack led Lily out into the night. She realised that the moon was full once more and had begun to rise from behind the trees into the inky black sky.

It was a crisp, cool night, but the glow of the bonfire and the moon overhead warmed both her body and soul.

Once a little way away from the barn, she stopped to face Jack. 'You promised me a dance,' she told him.

'And here I am,' he replied, drawing her close to him and wrapping his arms around her.

'Out here?' she said.

'I don't like an audience,' he told her.

They swayed to the music in the distance. Under the moonlight, the world around them shrank until Lily could see nothing but Jack in front of her.

'I can't tell you how many times I've missed you all these years,' he said, bringing her close to press his cheek against hers.

She closed her eyes as they danced cheek to cheek, relishing the warmth of his body and the feeling of having him so close. The moment was perfect.

'I love you.'

Lily opened her eyes with a start. Had she just imagined that?

She turned to look at him. 'What did you say?'

He stared at her, his face so close to hers. 'You heard me.'

He loves her? She could barely breathe, unable to take it in.

But what if he were to hurt her again? What if he were to leave her again? She knew her poor, battered heart couldn't face being broken a second time. The old wounds and heartache came rushing back and she couldn't think to say anything. She felt frozen and could only look at him.

She saw the hurt revealed in his eyes as she stayed silent, still trying to find the words. Any words.

Jack abruptly let go of her and walked away.

Lily, still frozen to the spot, could only watch in despair as he went.

###

Breakfast the following morning was a noisy affair, with everyone full of life and gossip about the album launch.

'The reviews are amazing,' said Sam, scrolling through his phone.

'Course they are,' said Mick, reaching out to pick up the marmalade from the kitchen table. 'You did great, love.'

He grinned up at Lily, who managed to smile back as she brought over the teapot.

'They even mention Willow Tree Hall,' said Sam to his grandad.

'Glad to hear it,' said Arthur, taking a sip of his tea.

'Jack's cocktails have given me a headache,' moaned Howard.

'That wasn't the apple cocktails,' Sam told him. 'That was the tequila slammers you did later on.'

Mick laughed. 'Yeah, what a night!'

'I don't know where you all get the stamina,' said Annie, carefully coming down the steps into the kitchen.

'I'm famous for mine,' said Mick.

'Me too, darling,' said Rose, with a naughty giggle. 'Here, sit down, Annie darling. I'll make you a cup of tea.'

'I'd better not,' Annie told her. 'I'm having the baby. My waters broke five minutes ago.'

The whole kitchen went silent for a second before bursting into life. Everyone rushed around, helping Annie outside towards the car. Sam was flapping and trying to remember where his car keys were.

Once they'd all left, it was only Lily left behind in the silent kitchen. She sank onto a chair in grateful relief at letting her smile finally drop. She had barely had any sleep, spending the night tossing and turning before getting up at dawn. She had tidied up most of the party debris by the time the family had finally risen.

It was a grey, drizzly day, which suited her miserable mood.

Jack had told her that he loved her. And she hadn't said a word in return.

What must he think of her?

She had tried texting him, but the texts were unread. He had switched off his phone. He would probably never talk to her again, such was the level of trust that she had just broken.

She felt utterly miserable and didn't know what to do.

Thankfully, the day was spent rushing around finishing tidying up after the album launch and she barely had any time to think. Because if she stopped and thought about how much she had hurt him, she would fall apart.

She didn't even realise it was late until the lights were being switched on inside the Hall and she noticed that it was dark outside.

'Annie has had a healthy, bouncing baby boy of seven-and-a-half pounds,' announced Skye, rushing into the drawing room.

'How lovely,' said Lily. 'Are they both OK?'

'Absolutely fine,' said Skye, beaming.

Rose rushed into the room after her. 'They're calling him Edward after his late grandfather,' she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

'Such a lovely idea,' said Skye, looking a little teary.

'Little Eddie is an absolute beauty,' said Rose, showing everyone the photographs on her phone. 'We're all heading up to the maternity unit in a while. Are you coming?'

Lily shook her head. 'Thanks, but I'll leave it just to the family for now. There's still some tidying up to do now that the band and Alex have left.'

The family began to gather in the entrance hall, all chatting excitedly to each other.

'Where's Arthur?' asked Rose, impatiently.

'I was just taking a very important phone call,' said Arthur, appearing from the west wing.

'What's more important than your great-grandson?' asked Rose, crossly.

'Nothing,' said Arthur. 'Although Willow Tree Hall comes a close second, of course.'

'What are you talking about?' asked Skye.

'That plate that Jack found in the orchard,' began Arthur. 'They think it's fourth-century. Roman.'

'In our apple orchard?' said Rose, in amazement. 'What on earth was it doing there?'

'They're going to send a few chaps out tomorrow to have a sniff around,' said Arthur, wrapping his scarf around his neck. 'They think that it's highly likely that there may be more Roman artefacts in the ground around here.'

'I don't believe it!' said Will.

'Of course, this means that some kind of covenant will probably be placed on the land if it's a historical find,' carried on Arthur, smiling to himself.

'What does that mean?' asked Skye.

'It means that grubby Eric Thatcher can't get his hands on our land!' said Rose, triumphantly. She stepped forward to give her brother a hug. 'Oh, what a day!'

Skye and Will were also hugging each other and looking emotional.

'I wish Jack were here so that we could thank him,' said Rose, wiping away a tear. 'Where did he get to today?'

'Said he needed a day at home,' Will told her. 'Come on. We'd better head to the hospital.'

'If you see Jack, tell him we owe him a huge drink,' called out Rose.

'And our grateful thanks for saving us,' added Arthur, as they went out of the front door.

Lily watched the car disappear down the driveway, trying to take everything in that had happened. Willow Tree Hall was safe. Cranley was safe. And it was all down to Jack.

He had saved the village.

She stared out into the darkness. And he had saved her as well. How could she not have realised until that moment? He had saved her from an exploding shed. He had saved her home village. But, most of all, he had saved her from herself all those weeks ago.

Jack had pointed out that she had been too afraid to live her life.

And what had happened the previous night when he had told her that he loved her?

She had been afraid again.

But she did love him! She had always loved him.

Even the much hoped-for engagement hadn't happened with Mark because she didn't really love him. He wasn't Jack. It had always been Jack.

She knew that she had hurt him so badly. And yet she had still not taken the last step in trusting him. In telling him how she truly felt.

Because she did love him. She loved him so much that she ached from it.

At that moment, she knew she had to tell him. She had to be brave.

Where had wild Lily gone? What would the old Lily have done in her shoes?

She glanced across at the small table in the entrance hall. Having drunk a couple of his own cocktails the previous evening, Jack had left his motorbike behind and caught a taxi home. The glint of the bike keys glistened under the light of the chandelier above.

Lily smiled to herself.

If she was going to start being brave, now was the time. Surely it couldn't do any harm to be a little wild one more time?

So she picked up the motorbike keys and rushed outside.

###

Lily stood and stared down at the motorbike in front of her.

'OMG,' she muttered, mimicking Lauren's favourite catchphrase.

She looked around her and realised that the moon was out, shining overhead like a beacon.

She had to be brave. She had to get on the scary bike, otherwise she was going to lose the real love of her life forever.

What if he was planning to go off around Europe again, like before? What if he left and never came back? She couldn't bear it. She had to go and tell him how she felt.

She went over and swung her leg over the huge seat. It seemed enormous without Jack there to support her and guide her through everything. Her trembling hands fiddled with the key until it finally slid into the slot and she started the engine with a roar.

She had a bit of trouble kicking the stand away but after a couple of attempts she finally made it. Then, balancing the bike, which was pulsing underneath her, she took a deep breath.

'Right hand is throttle,' she told herself and began to rotate it towards her. The bike shuddered into life and she began to move across the driveway.

Squealing in panic, she tried to concentrate on keeping herself straight so that she wouldn't fall off.

'Come on,' she told herself. 'You can do this.'

The bike had picked up enough speed for it to squeal at her to change gears. She managed to change gear just the once and the bike protested and jolted so much that she decided she could do the whole journey in second gear.

Once out of the long driveway, she turned the bike onto the wide avenue and set off for his home.

Despite her nerves, inside she felt a little thrill of excitement. That taking a risk had been the right thing to do.

She just hoped she would make it in time.

*

Jack had spent a miserable, quiet day at home. He normally enjoyed solitude but not that day. He missed his friends at Willow Tree Hall. He missed everything.

But he missed Lily most of all.

He had told her that he loved her. And she hadn't said a word in reply.

Perhaps he shouldn't have said anything, but just once in his life he had wanted to be open and honest with her.

And look how well that turned out, he thought, staring out across the darkness to where the river was reflecting the moon up above.

If only he had his motorbike. Then he could have driven off and never looked back. Gone to Europe. Gone anywhere. If only...

He stopped pacing and cocked his ear towards a familiar sound. It couldn't be. It just sounded the same, that was all.

But he couldn't stop himself from walking away from the balcony and across the floor of his lounge. He flung open the front door just as a motorbike came into view, roaring up to the driveway.

He found himself watching Lily, his Lily, driving his motorbike. She braked hard and almost went over the handlebars, causing him to clutch the front door in alarm that she might hurt herself.

He couldn't believe that she was here and that she had driven his motorbike.

What on earth was so important that it couldn't wait?

*

Lily's hand was shaking as she switched off the engine. She had made it!

Then she quickly realised that there was light streaming from the house in front of her. Jack was standing in the doorway, framed by the light behind him.

In a rush to speak to him, she quickly clambered off the motorbike and walked towards him.

She was only vaguely aware of the bike falling over behind her, as she had forgotten to put up the stand.

She walked up to him before crashing to a halt in front of him.

Jack was still standing in the doorway, watching her with a look of disbelief on his face.

He glanced over her shoulder to where his bike was lying on the tarmac before coming to stare back at her.

'You drove my bike all the way here?' he said.

She nodded. 'Well, you know me. Wild Lily Harper and all that.'

She took a step forward towards him. Towards handsome, funny, sexy Jack. He was so close she could smell his spicy aftershave.

But he took a step backwards from her and shook his head. 'I told you how I felt,' he said in a flat tone of voice.

'I know,' Lily told him. 'And it was wrong of me not to say anything. I was scared, you see. Scared of being hurt. Scared of telling you how I really felt. But you've taught me not to be scared any more. I know that I hurt you, and for that I'm truly sorry. But please just let me be with you. On whatever terms you want.' She took a quick glance at the barren interior of his house. 'I'll even be your interior designer, if you'll have me.'

She gave him a small smile but he was still watching her silently.

'I made a mistake,' Lily carried on. 'A big, stupid mistake. Because I love you. I've always loved you and always will.'

Had she really just said that? The shock in his eyes told her that she had.

'I love you, Jack Carter.'

He was silent for a moment. The time dragged and Lily was convinced that he would still turn away from her.

Then he reached out and pulled her into his arms, enveloping her with such love that she could feel the tears spring to her eyes.

'I thought I'd lost you,' she heard him say, as he pressed his mouth against her hair.

She lifted her head as the tears ran down her cheeks. 'You'll never think that again,' she replied. 'I love you. I really do.'

'And I love you, Lily Harper.'

He closed the gap between them and kissed her, gently at first before it developed into a deeper embrace. And it felt as good as it had always done.

When they finally drew apart, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her once more. She felt safe. She felt as if she were home.

'For the record,' she told him. 'I would drive that motorbike anywhere in the world so that I could find you and tell you how much I love you.'

He nuzzled her neck with his lips. 'For the record, I'm not letting you out of my sight. Ever.' He drew back to look at her. 'By the way, you owe me a new gearbox for the bike,' he said, smiling softly.

But his eyes were warm as she reached up to bring his head back down to hers again.

Then the only sound was the wind in the trees as it softly moved the clouds away from the moon, leaving the stars sparkling high above them.

###

'We'll be back by the time the new trees arrive,' said Jack.

'Don't worry,' Sam told him, laughing. 'I certainly won't be doing any digging whilst you're away.'

'More's the pity,' said Jack.

The orchard had become his responsibility over the winter and the plan was to replace some of the ancient gnarled trees that hadn't produced any fruit the previous year. In addition, he was planning to build a new distillery to create Willow Tree Hall's very own range of cider that autumn.

He felt quite at peace with himself. It was a bit like the nature and nurture saying, Arthur had told him the other day. Take care of something and you'll start to take care of yourself as well.

He was no longer bored but looked forward to work, especially as every day was different. He could be wiring up the electrics one day, trying out cider recipes the next. Now that he no longer needed the constant validation of money and wealth, he could take his time and enjoyed each new day.

He had also spent the past six months carefully nurturing a closer bond with his parents. Slowly but surely, their relationship was changing for the better. With Lily's encouragement, he rang his parents on a frequent basis and they often met up for dinner, as well as hosting their anniversary party.

When the time was right, they were going to make wonderful grandparents, he thought with a smile to himself. He had plans to buy Lily an engagement ring whilst they toured Europe over the next couple of weeks. It was time to make it official.

He was ready to finally let go of the past. It wouldn't repeat itself. He and Lily would make a home full of children, laughter and love.

Since she had moved in, Lily had transformed the place so that it felt cosier. He especially liked the framed family photographs that had been placed on the fireplace and shelves. It felt warmed and lived in. Just like a home should be.

But he knew that it was having Lily beside him that had changed the place the most. And she had changed him too.

He would spend the rest of his life trying to repay her.

*

Annie balanced baby Eddie on her hip. 'I really can cope, you know.'

'I've left emergency numbers on the fridge,' Lily carried on, ignoring her. 'The diary is up to date with bookings as well.'

'You've told me all this before,' said Annie, smiling. 'Now go. Enjoy yourselves. It's only for a fortnight.'

Lily gave her and the baby a kiss. She knew she had to be careful not to slip back into her controlling ways, and worked very hard to try and stay relaxed. In fact, she had even deleted her Life To-Do List a few months previously.

After all, she thought, glancing over at Jack, she had everything that she had always wanted.

In addition to the wonderful man in her life, the bookings for weddings to be held in the renovated barn were rushing in, giving her plenty of work to do. The tea room was also up and running, with Lauren selling out her cakes every time it opened. The archaeologists were especially keen on her lemon drizzle cake.

Amazingly, there was now a large archaeological dig at the back of the orchard. The plate that Jack had pulled out of the ground had turned out to be confirmed as fourth-century Roman. A survey had discovered the remains of a possible Roman camp buried underground, and work was now being carried out to uncover it.

Willow Tree Hall was now officially of historical and national importance and could not be sold or flattened to make way for any kind of bypass or motorway. It was safe and would continue to be so.

With the future of the village safe, everyone in Cranley could relax. Her parents were also enjoying a new lease of life. Her dad was working most days and had a newfound passion for his carpentry. With the additional income, her mum had managed to reduce her hours at the supermarket and spent each afternoon batch-cooking to stock up the freezers of the many residents in the village, as well as at Willow Tree Hall. Lily couldn't remember seeing them as happy as they were these days.

With a long summer ahead of weddings to be organised and apples to be grown, Jack had suggested a holiday in Europe during the quiet weeks of March.

'Have a fabulous time,' said Annie, drawing her into a hug. 'But please come back to us, OK?'

Lily nodded. 'We will.'

She headed across the driveway to climb onto the back of the bike as the engine roared into life.

They waved their goodbyes before Lily held on tight to Jack as they set off. The large willow tree held the buds of new growth on its branches as they went past.

It would take a couple of days to drive down to Italy, he had told her. Then they were going to take their time and get lost around the glorious landscapes and beautiful towns and villages.

'I'm going to keep on giving you the life you've always wanted,' he had said the previous night as he had held her close.

And Lily believed him. But it would always be a wonderful life if he was by her side, wherever they were in the world.

Willow Tree Hall and Cranley would continue to be her home and it would always be waiting for her to return. But it wasn't going to be her whole life any more. That was with Jack.

Wherever it led her, it was going to be an adventure. Not just over the next fortnight, but for the rest of her life.

She couldn't wait.

### Acknowledgements

Thank you to my lovely editors Laura Palmer and Lucy Gilmour for all their ideas and support on this book.

Thank you to everyone at Aria and Head of Zeus for all their hard work on each of the books in the series, especially marketing superstar Vicky Joss.

Thank you to all my friends, especially Jo Botelle and the lovely ladies of the DWLC whose advice and support is always invaluable.

Huge thanks to my wonderful family who are always there to cheer me on, especially my sister Gill, Simon, Louise, Ross, Lee, Cara and Sian.

A big thank you as always to my husband Dave who listens so patiently to random plot ideas about my imaginary world at the most unexpected times before helping me sort it all out. I couldn't do this without you.

Finally, a huge thank you to all the readers and bloggers out there whose enthusiasm for the lives and loves of the residents of Willow Tree Hall has amazed me. Your encouragement and reviews have kept me going through some tricky times these past two years and I'm so thankful that you've taken this series to heart. This book is for all of you.

### About Alison Sherlock

ALISON SHERLOCK enjoyed reading and writing stories from an early age and gave up office life to follow her dream. Alison lives in Surrey with her husband and a daft golden retriever.

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