‘No, it’s not that.’

He smiled wryly. ‘So it’s me that’s unappealing, then?’

Grace felt herself blushing. ‘I’m sorry,’ she started to say, but Noah shook his head.

‘I was only teasing you, girl. You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I’ve been half expecting you to change your mind, if I’m honest. I mean, what would a young girl like you want with a dull old man like me?’

Grace felt her blush deepening. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. It was very cruel.’

‘Why? You’re quite right. I thought the same thing myself when your father first mentioned the idea to me. But I was so lonely after my wife died, I was willing to give it a try.’

He looked so forlorn, Grace’s heart went out to him. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Will you stop saying that? You’re a young girl, you’re entitled to go off and get giddy over a fellow. Just like your friend – what’s her name?’

‘Sylvia Saunders,’ Grace said miserably.

He laid his hand on her shoulder. ‘Don’t look so sad, Gracie. I’ve got no hard feelings against you. I wish you well.’

He tapped out his pipe on the side of the milking shed. ‘Well, I don’t suppose we’ve much more to say to each other, have we?’

‘No,’ Grace said.

He jerked his head towards the farmhouse. ‘I daresay you’ll be wanting to go back inside, to your family?’

‘Actually, would you mind giving me a lift to the station? If I hurry I might catch the last train back to London.’

He frowned. ‘But you’ve only just arrived. Aren’t you staying for a visit?’

Grace looked back at the house. ‘I was going to travel tomorrow morning, but I’d rather go tonight. I don’t think I’m going to be very welcome after this,’ she said.

Noah regarded her with sympathy. ‘I could talk to them if you like, explain what’s happened? I’m sure I could make peace with them for you.’

‘Would you do that?’

‘Of course.’

Grace looked back at the farmhouse, then shook her head. ‘No, I’d like to go back tonight. If I wait until tomorrow there’s a chance I’ll miss my friend’s wedding.’

Noah smiled. ‘That wouldn’t be Sylvia, would it?’ Grace nodded. ‘You can’t miss that, can you?’

Grace had a sudden vision of Dr Logan coming in to the wedding with Dulcie Moore on his arm.

‘I suppose not,’ she said.

Ten minutes later, Grace was sitting up on top of Noah’s cart beside him, lurching along the country lanes. Her parents had been happy enough to wave them off. Grace wondered if they were hoping that Noah might use the time to change her mind.

‘So you were planning on going home in the morning?’ he said. ‘It’s a long way to come for a flying visit.’ He sent her a sideways look. ‘You could have written me a letter?’

Grace shook her head. ‘That would have been a horrible thing to do. You deserved to hear from me in person. And I wanted to give you this back.’