‘Yum, yum. And I reckon our botanist won’t be meaning dinner.’

‘You’re impossible,’ she said crossly. ‘Why don’t you go and shower.’

Connor arrived on time, without his usual hat and dressed in clean khaki. He greeted Tilly with a smile and her face pinkened as she replied and introduced him to Elaine.

‘Ah,’ he exclaimed, smiling as he shook her hand. ‘The lady who taught Tilly to cook. I was a houseguest here for a bit. You’ve quite a talent, Mrs Williams. I would’ve brought flowers had there been any available, but I carved this for you instead. A little thank you for tonight’s meal.’

‘You’re very welcome. I—’ Flustered, Elaine accepted the token, while Tilly craned to see what she held and heard her mother gasp in surprise, or delight. ‘Oh! Why, Connor, it’s beautiful. Look!’ She held it up for them all to see, a cameo of a flower the size of a twenty-cent piece. ‘Every petal’s as plain as. It’s a rose, isn’t it? One of those flat old-fashioned ones with the wonderful scent. Thank you. You carved it yourself?’

He shrugged. ‘A bit of a hobby of mine. You can stick a pin on the back and wear it as a brooch, but it needs oiling first. Tilly knows how.’ With practised ease he turned to Sophie. ‘So, I hear you’ve had good news about Sandstone Springs. How’s that going?’

It was a wonderful evening for Tilly. She felt Connor’s awareness of her like a physical touch as he ate and chatted, slipping the occasional comment or question Matt’s way, while being attentive to Elaine and listening to Sophie’s and Luke’s enthusiasm over future plans and present progress at the springs. She was content to watch and listen, filling her eyes with the sight of him. There was a scar on his chin she hadn’t noticed before, and one thumbnail had split and regrown over itself, which could only be the result of a nasty injury. She flinched inwardly on his account and yearned to ask about it, but now was neither the time nor place.

The meal was delicious and when the dessert came out – a chocolate mousse, served in individual glasses, each decorated with a net of spun barley sugar – Luke predictably exclaimed, ‘Wow! I must’ve died. This is food heaven.’

‘Tilly’s work,’ Elaine said fondly.

Sophie clapped. ‘Double wow! It looks too pretty to eat.’

‘Not to me, it doesn’t,’ Luke said reverently, lifting his spoon and demolishing the decoration, eager as a child at a party. Connor smiled across the table at Tilly, the look as intimate as a kiss.

‘Nice to be appreciated,’ she said.

Luke and Matt did the dishes while the rest retired to the lounge with coffee.

‘So, how long will you be here, Elaine?’ Connor asked, passing the sugar.