‘One of her London friends, I daresay,’ her father said. ‘Led her astray, no doubt, and made her forget her duty to her family.’

‘Why should I be the only one with a duty to the family?’ Grace asked him. ‘Matthew and Mark were allowed to marry whoever they liked. Why do I have to marry a dull old man I hardly know, just because—’

She caught the appalled looks on the faces of her sisters-in-law and turned around slowly. Noah Wells stood in the doorway.

Only the sound of little Reuben howling in his mother’s arms broke the silence. Grace closed her eyes and wished the stone flags would open up and swallow her.

At last Noah spoke. ‘Your father told me you were visiting. I thought I’d come over and say hello,’ he said gruffly, not meeting her eye.

Grace was utterly mortified. Poor Noah. She didn’t want to marry him, but she didn’t want to hurt him, either.

‘The girl didn’t mean it, Noah,’ her father stepped in to smooth things over, but Noah cut him short.

‘I reckon that’s between me and Grace, don’t you?’ He glanced at her. ‘Shall we go outside and talk where it’s quiet?’

He turned on his heel and went outside. Grace hesitated.

‘Well? What are you waiting for?’ her father said. ‘You go out there and talk to him. See if you can put things right before it’s too late.’

Noah was waiting for her in the middle of the sunlit farmyard, tamping down the tobacco in his pipe.

Grace took a deep breath. ‘Mr Wells—Noah, I—’ she started to say, but Noah shook his head and nodded towards the farmhouse behind her. Grace followed his gaze and saw her sisters-in-law both crowded at the window, watching them avidly.

Noah took Grace’s arm and steered her across the yard and round the side of the milking sheds, into the cool shadows.

‘That’s better,’ he said. ‘Reckon we can do without an audience, don’t you?’

Grace watched him lighting his pipe and waited for him to speak. She was afraid to say anything herself; she had already put her foot in it more than enough.

‘So,’ Noah said finally. ‘You don’t want to marry me.’

‘I’m sorry, truly I am.’ Grace opened her mouth and the words tumbled out again. ‘I know I should have said something sooner … I didn’t mean to hurt you … It all happened so fast …’

‘So you need more time, is that it? Because I don’t mind waiting.’

He was being so kind, Grace felt utterly helpless.

But then he gave a sad little smile and said, ‘But I can see from the look on your fact that won’t do, will it?’

‘No,’ Grace said unhappily. ‘No, it won’t.’

He paused for a while, puffing on his pipe and gazing into the far distance.

‘I can’t say I blame you,’ he said finally. ‘After living in London these past years, the idea of coming back here to live must seem very unappealing to you.’