‘You do love me, don’t you, Ethan?’ Rosie whispered, her heart pounding as he could hold back no longer. But Ethan didn’t reply, he just kissed her and carried on undoing his trousers, before entering her and taking over her body with every thrust that he made. She winced with both the pain and the thrill of having sex with her wild lover. ‘You do love me. Don’t you?’ she whispered again. But Ethan still didn’t reply, as he put his finger to her mouth and smiled down at her. She’d given herself willingly to him and now he was making sure he enjoyed his innocent farm girl.

The bread and cheese had gone stale in the dying summer’s sun, untouched and unwanted, as they lay back in one another’s arms and thought about what they had just done.

Rosie pulled her skirts down and didn’t know if she wanted to cry or laugh. She’d taken part in something that, up until now, she had only seen animals do, but she knew what the consequences might be. She lay back and worried. It had been her fault, as she had teased Ethan; she should have known what she was leading him towards, and that a decent woman would have waited until they were married.

‘What if I’m . . .?’ She turned and looked at Ethan.

‘You won’t be, I pulled out in time. You’ll be fine – stop worrying. That’s the last thing we both need. I’m not that daft.’ Ethan sat up and looked across the trickling stream as a dragonfly darted and skimmed over the waters in the dying light. In truth, he didn’t know for certain, but he hoped nothing would come of the dalliance. ‘The sun’s going down, you’d better be off, or else you’ll have to answer to your father.’ He got up onto his feet and offered Rosie his hand. She took it and pulled herself up next to him. ‘Stop worrying, you’ll be fine.’ He kissed her on her cheek.

‘I’m sure I will, but I can’t help worrying. I shouldn’t have egged you on; it was my fault.’ Rosie smoothed her skirts and threw the wasted bread and cheese into the river, before picking up the napkin.

‘It was both our faults,’ Ethan said, as he kissed her once more. ‘Now, get yourself home. I’ll walk up by the Wharfe track, just in case someone comes looking for you. You go up the home track, it’s not as far.’ He held her at arm’s length and noticed she was near crying. ‘Don’t cry, you’ll be fine.’

‘I know, but if I’m not . . . you’ll stand by me?’ Rosie whispered.