I saved the document I was working on. I was up to Ted’s last journal now. He had been a meticulous note taker; I’d learned so much from reading his detailed weather reports, his methods for dealing with mildew, pests and wildlife and the copious readings he’d taken with a refractometer (the device to test sugar content) from every single row of vines. It would make it so much easier to make decisions for whoever took over the vineyard once Betsy had moved on. I didn’t want to think about that now, it was too depressing. I couldn’t bear the idea of seeing a name on the bottle label other than Butterworth. I loved the fact that Marjorie and Betsy were plotting to persuade Jensen to leave his globetrotting job and settle here, but much as I’d like it to happen, I couldn’t see it. He seemed to thrive on the cut and thrust of international business and global projects. A provincial vineyard where the biggest decisions were where to store all the new bottles bought in ready for the next harvest and whether we should strip more foliage off the lowest parcel of vines to get extra light to the fruit … Well, sadly, I didn’t think Butterworth Wines had enough to interest him.

‘If you say so,’ said Clare, jolting me back to the present. She took the lid off a plastic tub of date and apricot flapjacks. ‘Tuck in, these will do the trick to sort out that little problem you mentioned. I’ve added extra linseed and bran too.’

‘Thank you, that’s very kind.’ I smiled weakly and took the smallest brown square, setting it next to the laptop. That’ll teach me to mention my constipation in public. ‘Actually, I think Godfrey’s syrup of figs, Roger’s half-tube of haemorrhoid cream and the long ramble along the river which Pippa insisted on taking me for have already produced several tricks. You’ve all been very kind.’

‘TMI.’ She snorted and took a small piece for herself. ‘Just indulge me, Lottie. I never got the chance to fuss around my daughter Frankie when she was pregnant, with her living in Australia.’

I took a sip of water in readiness for a fibre hit and picked up my flapjack.

‘My mum would have thrown herself into full-on nurturing mode too. I’m sure she’d approve of these; they look very healthy. Evie’s fantastic, but it’s not the same as having your mum around.’

Clare pulled a sad face. ‘Of course it isn’t. But anything you need, any advice or someone to come and hold your hand at any time, you just ask.’