She placed a hand on his arm, then reached for the bowls and retreated to the kitchen while he got himself under control. It was too much. Too close and he forced himself to remember why he was here.

By the time she’d returned, he’d taken a large mouthful of the not-surprisingly-delicious wine and swallowed his grief.

‘So, are you up for dessert?’

‘Actually, I had a proposal for you,’ he interrupted, desperately attempting to get his plans back on track. To break the strange, awkward connection that seemed to be slowly forming between them. To get her on side, so that he could eventually leave. Return to New York and leave this all behind.

‘Oh?’ she asked, her head cocked to one side.

‘Yes. Ah, it seems,’ he said, trying to blag his way through this, ‘that there is a tasting tour that I wasn’t able to cancel.’

‘VIPs, huh?’

‘Yup. That’s it. Very important.’

‘And you can’t ask John because—’

‘I sent him away.’

‘Actually, I was going to say, because he’s in South Africa visiting family. But yeah, sent him away would just about cover it.’

‘And Annabelle is—’

‘Back up in Yorkshire with her friend Betty,’ Lily concluded almost gleefully, as if realizing full well what this meant.

‘So you’re my only hope,’ he said, his tone so near begging it was almost embarrassing.

‘Mmm,’ she hummed, shrugging her shoulders.

‘Oh, come on.’

‘Really, Henry, I’d love to help. But I’m just sooooo busy.’

He bit his bottom lip. There was literally no one else who could do it. He knew it and more importantly she did too.

‘OK. Out with it.’

‘Out with what?’ she asked, all mock innocence. It might have worked, too, if she hadn’t been practically bouncing in her seat. Her features had come alive, excitement sparkling in her eyes, and he was struck by wave after wave of beautiful glee.

‘What’s it going to take?’ And before she could plead any more unnecessary ignorance, he pressed on. ‘For you to do the wine tour.’

Once again he felt harpooned by her gaze. One that seemed to block out all else from his mind. He almost smiled that the sheer joy vibrating from her, it was oddly infectious.

‘Just a teeeeny, tiny, little thing.’

‘The wedding,’ he concluded.

‘Mm hm.’

‘Lily, that’s neither teeny, tiny nor little!’

‘Such a shame. I really would have loved to help with your VIP tour that’s happening …’ She left it hanging in the air.

‘Two days. It’s happening in two days,’ he replied through gritted teeth.

‘Two days. Ouch.’ She grimaced, before plastering on a deeply insincere smile. ‘I’m sure you’ll find—’

‘OK, OK, fine,’ he said, holding his hands up in surrender. ‘The wedding for the tour.’

‘Really?’ This time she seemed genuinely shocked. ‘Really, you’ll do it? You won’t back out or change your mind?’