‘Your amazing knowledge of vines, for example.’ I touched her arm reassuringly, thinking not for the first time what a legacy of good deeds Ted had left behind him. Her eyes looked as damp as the leaves on the vines but she smiled and together we bent to look at the bunches of grapes, checking for any signs of mildew.

‘Talking of which, I read that too much rain can alter the complexity of the finished wine,’ I said.

‘Correct,’ said Pippa with a bright smile, pulling herself together. ‘The roots transport the water to the grapes and they swell up and become fat, bursting with juice.’

I straightened up, wincing. ‘Stop talking about water, I need the loo.’

‘Again?’ She looked at me sharply. ‘Do you think you might have a bladder infection or something?’

‘No, just drunk a lot of tea this morning that’s all.’

I was so preoccupied with my hospital appointment that I must have done at least ten nervous wees this morning and it was getting harder to come up with excuses for dashing inside to the bathroom. My stomach had popped out a bit more this week too and my jeans were cutting into my waist; the sooner I could tell everyone what was going on the better. Even Godfrey had remarked yesterday when we were having a tea and biscuit break from bottling the Blanc de Noir, that he liked to see a young woman with a healthy appetite, and you didn’t have to be a genius to read the sub-text: step away from the bourbons, Chubby.

Pippa chewed her lip. ‘I don’t mean to pry, but is everything all right?’

‘Fine, fine,’ I lied. I put a hand to my neck to hide the flush. ‘Did you just hear a car?’

‘Er …’

I didn’t hang around to hear her reply.

The car I’d heard was Marjorie’s specially adapted car. She and Betsy had arrived shortly ahead of Jensen’s super whispery electric one. By the time I reached the yard, Betsy was unloading shopping from the back seat and looping bags over Jensen’s arms.

‘I’ll be two minutes,’ he said, pulling a face. ‘Gran appears to be catering for the five thousand. Ow!’

‘Got to keep my strength up,’ Betsy replied, giving him a poke in the ribs, ‘or else you’ll put me in a home.’

They began bickering light-heartedly about Meals on Wheels and Marjorie’s arm shot out of the open car window and caught my hand. She looked like she was suffering in the heat and her short frizzy hair was damp. She was wearing a faded T-shirt with the words ‘School’s out for summer’ stretched across her chest and a pair of cut-off jogging bottoms.

‘How’s Daddy Allbright?’ she asked.