‘But we do have some rather lovely wines set up for a tasting outside the distillery, along with a small spot of lunch, if you’re ready?’ The brightness had returned and Lily’s enticing offer managed to chase away everyone’s disappointment, aside from Henry’s.

She led them back up into the light and to the old wooden benches in front of the distillery barn. The doors were wide open so that the tour party could see inside, before she disappeared back into the main building to retrieve the wine and the basket of food she had brought with her.

Henry let the group talk amongst themselves, noticing the hints of excitement through the hushed whispers. Lily had done an amazing job so far and he knew that Jameson was already half in love with the place. If he made an offer, Henry honestly couldn’t see why he would turn it down, but he could also just as clearly see the hurt that would be sure to be on Lily’s face. His conscience bit more painfully than the pang of hunger in his stomach.

Lily returned with a small trolley that contained the wine glasses, water, the bottles and the food. It looked like the best picnic anyone could imagine.

Moments before, Henry would have sworn that he’d not be able to taste anything above the ash of his conscience on his tongue, but as Lily talked them through the sparkling, the whites, the rosés and the reds, Henry was astounded by just how far the wine had come in the last ten years. In complexity, in taste.

Jameson had explained that he knew about the winemaking process, so instead focused on astute questions about their equipment which Lily seemed utterly unfazed by. Especially since Natalie interspersed the questions with praise and sighs of appreciation not only for the wine, but the food too.

Lily had enjoyed herself this afternoon. It had been strange, but good. It had felt, for a moment, down in the cellars as if she and Henry had been working together. Part of a team, even. And she couldn’t remember the last time she had felt that way. Yes, she worked with Kate and Vihaan, but they were her employees. No matter how friendly, there was a hierarchy there. But with Henry it had been different.

She’d done estate tours before, when Blake wasn’t able to. Especially in the last few months, when he’d been fighting a pain she’d insisted he went to the doctors about, which he’d resisted. But those tours had been large, groups of nearly twenty on some weekends. This had felt more personal. Especially when Henry had been able to fill in some of the history of the estate and Blake’s choices. She smiled as Natalie finished the last forkful of the fruit tart she’d made that morning.