“There’s a couple of nearby farms that supply the village farm shop. I’ll ask Jake as well, see if Noel and Son can help us out. They top us up sometimes if we’ve got a shortfall.”

“I’d say you’ve definitely got a shortfall situation.”

Isaac nodded in grim agreement. “It won’t completely satisfy the bride’s wish for homegrown, but it’ll be from within a five-mile radius, which isn’t too bad.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much, she’s having the wedding favors shipped over from a chocolatier in Switzerland, and her own personal wedding blend of coffee beans flown in from Ethiopia. Jenna’s carbon footprint concerns are what you might call fickle.”

“Maybe you’d like to be the one to tell her about the salad?”

“If you can guarantee me that the farms can provide, then I’ll break it to her. But if we’re looking at supermarket salad bags, you’re on your own.”

Isaac grinned and pulled out his phone. “I’ll call them now.”

“Do you need an extra pair of hands to clean up here?”

“No, thanks. We’ll be fine. But I may have to take a rain check on showing you the lost garden later,” he said, looking around.

“That’s okay. I really ought to go and see how Jez’s and Guy’s bruises are coming along.”

Isaac’s expression darkened. “Did you and he used to be together?”

Nory chewed her lip as she considered that this question could be applied to almost all of the men in the house party. But she knew Isaac was referring to Guy and his comment at the stables.

“No,” she answered honestly. “I made a mistake with him once, a long time ago, but we’ve never been together.”

She could see Isaac processing this information and knew he was considering what form her mistake with Guy had taken. But she wasn’t going to elaborate. She didn’t need to. Her past was her own, and she was the only person allowed to judge her on it.

As if sensing her thoughts, Isaac said, “It’s none of my business. I suppose what I was really asking is, do I have competition?”

Nory’s smile seemed out of her control.

“No,” she said. “You don’t have any competition.” And then she asked, “Just to clarify, does this mean we are ignoring my brother and the marquis?”

Isaac took her hand. “They’re just going to have to lump it.”

He leaned in and kissed her lips, just once, slowly, softly, making Nory’s body thrill and ache at the same time.

“You’re a very good kisser,” Nory whispered, stumbling slightly as he moved away from her. She’d heard of people getting punch-drunk, but was snog-drunk a thing?

“You’re rather good yourself.” Isaac smiled. “I’m finding your lips very hard to resist.”