John cast a look to Lily, who adamantly looked away, before replying. ‘Yeah. Guess so. Family is good. But I’d better make sure the boys are not destroying the distillery.’

‘Can I get them coffee?’ Lily asked.

‘Na, they’re young. Running on adrenalin and hormones. We’ll be done in time for the volunteers. They can break then.’

Henry watched the exchange, suddenly feeling as if this would have happened whether he’d been there or not. Their conversation – John’s familiar truncated sentences – spoke of practice, habit perhaps. And the tendril of suspicion that had begun to unfurl bloomed.

John left with a nod out the back of the kitchen and Lily made herself overly busy, unpacking the boxes she’d brought.

‘You both knew, didn’t you?’ he demanded, finally voicing his suspicions.

‘What do you mean?’

‘That the Bacchus would harvest early.’

Her hands stalled, as if she wasn’t sure what to do with the large loaf of bread. And she sighed, finally relenting. ‘It’s been an odd year weather wise. We suspected, but couldn’t have known precisely when.’

‘Precisely being two days after John planned his return?’

Lily let out a gentle laugh. ‘John’s more accurate than the Met Office.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

She turned to him then, pinned her with her large dark eyes and grimaced. ‘I did try.’

‘Not very hard.’

‘Well, you were kicking me off the estate at the time, and …’

‘And I deserved it?’

‘No,’ she denied.

‘Then what? You wanted to see what I’d do? This was a test?’

‘No, Henry. It wasn’t. Not for you anyway.’

‘What do you mean?’ he asked, thoroughly confused.

‘I mean, that in just a few months, you won’t own the estate, and I’ll have nothing to do with it anymore. That I have to let it go just as much as you,’ she replied sadly. ‘But,’ she shrugged, ‘you asked for my help. And we’ll get the harvest in, Henry. We’ll make sure it’s the best last harvest for everyone.’

An hour later, Lily wondered whether she’d said too much. She’d certainly not intended to put her feelings onto him and she hadn’t missed the look in his eyes when she’d spoken. She’d buttered the sliced home-made bread, and all the bacon and sausages were in the oven – veggie, vegan and gluten-free options in the other ovens – so finally, she wiped her hands on the apron. Henry had left shortly after their exchange and gone to find John, who was sure to have put him to work.

She grabbed one of the many trays covered in cups and walked it out to the tables just outside the distillery barn as the first cars started to fill up the driveway. And so it begins.

Henry came to join her at the tables, several buckets in hand and the keys to the ATV.