‘I couldn’t make it too obvious. Besides, I’d the dogs to feed and the eggs to collect, as I’d missed doing that this morning, with going to Skipton.’ Rosie sat down beside him and kissed him quickly on the cheek. ‘Don’t complain anyway, I’ve brought us both our suppers. Mother said I’d to help myself to cheese and bread and a bannock, so I made sure there was enough for both of us.’ She untied the napkin that held their supper and laid the contents out amongst the grass and flowers that grew on the banks of the river at the wash-dubs.

‘That looks bloody good. Here, let me supply the pudding.’ Ethan leaned over to the side of the dry limestone wall that stood behind him and pulled some small wild bilberries from the stumpy, wiry bush that grew below it. ‘And this is for my girl, to match her eyes.’ He leaned over again and picked a sky-blue scabious, then placed it behind Rosie’s ear, kissing her as he did so and touching her cheeks lovingly with his hand.

‘We shouldn’t, Ethan, we vowed we would just be good friends.’ Rosie blushed and looked coyly at him.

‘I can’t help it – you know I can’t. I feel different when I’m with you. I couldn’t stop thinking about you all day. This evening couldn’t come quick enough.’ Ethan kissed her again and held her in his arms.

‘Me, too. I hated my time with Jane. She is such a clever devil, but, in all honesty, knows nothing.’ Rosie lay back in Ethan’s arms. His breath was slow and sure next to her and she let her fingers trace the opening of his shirt, which revealed the dark hairs of his chest.

‘Don’t! Now you are teasing and I don’t think I can control myself.’ Ethan sighed. ‘You know, I do think a lot of you. But you also know that what we are doing is wrong – your father and grandfather would kill me, as would my father. Well, you saw last time what my own father would do to me.’

‘Well, they are not about to find out. I’m not going to say anything, and who else is there to witness our meetings? I think I love you, Ethan, I really do.’ Rosie rolled onto her side and looked into his eyes as she opened his shirt more and ran her hands over his chest as she kissed him.

‘Rosie, my Rosie, we shouldn’t, you know we shouldn’t.’ He breathed in deeply and kissed her hard on the mouth, before rolling her onto her back and lying upon her. ‘I’ll be gentle, I promise. This is our secret,’ he whispered as he pulled her skirts up and undid his buttons. He’d been waiting for this moment all summer and could resist no longer.