Hail could cause untold damage to grapes, bruising the most exposed bunches and ruining their skins. Pippa had told me that they once lost seventy-five per cent of their crop in a single day. ‘Because I don’t know what I’d be able to do to protect the fruit.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘See? Even now you’re worrying about something else.’

‘It’s my job and it’s important to me.’

He stopped dead and touched my arm, his deep blue gaze holding mine. ‘I understand that, but things have changed now, haven’t they?’ he said earnestly.

I blinked at him. This was disappointing; somehow I hadn’t expected him not to be on my side.

‘I’ll be working for months yet.’

He cleared his throat and looked away. ‘Let’s join the ladies.’

‘Here she is,’ Marjorie cried, raising a glass with what looked like a triple measure of amber liqueur in it. ‘The woman of the hour!’

‘Me?’ I said, smiling to myself as I took in her rosy cheeks.

‘And her knight in shining armour,’ Betsy piped up. She got to her feet tipsily and kissed both our cheeks. ‘Hello, darlings. We’ve been so worried about you.’

‘My blood pressure was a bit low, that’s all,’ I reassure them with a smile. ‘Nothing serious.’

Jensen looked at me pointedly, sending a flock of energetic butterflies into action in my stomach.

‘Gran, do you mind if I stay the night?’ He checked his watch. ‘I’d rather not drive back to London now; I want to be on hand for a while to make sure Lottie is okay.’

Betsy and Marjorie exchanged triumphant looks. It didn’t take a genius to work out that there’d been some speculation about our relationship. Not that there was likely to be one now; finding out the girl you’d asked to dinner was pregnant with another man’s child had to be up there as one of life’s most effective passion-killers. Still, now was hardly the time to be thinking about romance; not now that motherhood had plonked itself on the horizon.

‘That’s kind of you, Jensen, but it’s really not necessary,’ I said, flicking the tiniest of glances his way. There, I thought, you are officially absolved of responsibility.

‘Of course he’ll stay!’ said Betsy, waving away my protests. ‘No arguments.’

Jensen laughed. ‘Gran’s word is law, Lottie, so that’s that.’

‘Sit down,’ said Marjorie, patting the bench beside her. ‘You look dead on your feet.’

‘I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep,’ I said weakly. Or rather I’d be fine once I’d got used to the fact there was another human growing inside me …

Betsy and I both sat down and Jensen pulled up a chair from the patio table to sit next to us.