I opened the alarm clock on my phone. ‘Fine, but only for thirty minutes. Because if new volunteers arrive—’

‘If they arrive, someone else can deal with them.’

‘Okay then, forty minutes.’ My eyelids were already drooping; this was a great idea.

I heard Agnes slide a mug on to my bedside cupboard and then the front door closed as she let herself out. I was in that delicious state – almost asleep – when I suddenly thought about Jensen and wondered where he was. Had he landed in Cape Town ready to start his new job, or was he flying today and hoping his flight wouldn’t be affected by the storm? I reached a hand out from under the covers and opened my bedside cupboard. My fingers felt around until they found what I was looking for. I slid his ring on to the third finger of my left hand and closed my eyes again.

Safe travels wherever you are …

Chapter 33

Sometime later, a knock at the door woke me up. I glanced at my phone as I blinked myself awake. An hour had gone by. A whole hour! Damn, I’d slept through my alarm.

The person at the door knocked again.

‘Lottie? Are you in there?’ It was Marjorie’s voice, although I could hardly hear her over the wind.

‘Coming.’ I opened the door. ‘Gosh, look at all those cars.’

While I’d been asleep, our cry for help had obviously been heeded.

‘You should see the vineyard,’ said Marjorie, pulling her hood back up. ‘There are so many bodies down there it looks like we’ve been invaded by locusts.’

Just then Clare sailed by on the quadbike, head down against the wind. It was so blowy that loose grapes were blowing off the back of the trailer and on to the ground. Starsky was running behind her, barking into the turbulent air and snapping at the falling fruit. He seemed to be the only one enjoying this weather.

‘Are you going to leave me here to freeze?’ Marjorie yelled.

I shook myself. ‘Sorry. I’m not used to seeing you without Betsy pushing you.’

‘Don’t look so shocked.’ She wheeled herself over the threshold and came in. ‘I can manoeuvre myself, you know. I’ve lived alone since Ron died.’

‘Of course.’ I closed the door after her and breathed a sigh of relief at shutting out the bad weather. I automatically walked to the kettle. ‘I hope I’ve got time for a cup of tea, I’m desperate. Do you want one?’

She pulled a face. ‘I’m awash with the stuff. No, I came to give you this letter.’

She reached into her fleece, retrieved a rather bent envelope and handed it over to me.

‘So there really was a letter for me!’ I said before realizing my mistake.