His green eyes blazed. ‘Why? I love you, Jonathan, and you love me, don’t you?’ The words – never before spoken to anyone by her – came so easily and so naturally to her lips that she never paused to wonder, to savour the sound of them and to revel in the meaning behind them.

He gasped at her directness, then smiled, won over by her honesty.

‘Don’t you?’ She was insisting on an answer from him. When he didn’t give one, she too released her hold on him and stood back, away from him. Quietly, she said, ‘Say ya don’t love me, and I’ll turn around and go. And ya can walk away from here – and never think of me again.’ She saw the pain in his eyes. She stepped closer again. ‘Say it – say ya don’t love me . . .’ She was daring him to deny her. In a whisper, she added, ‘If ya can.’

He groaned, reached out for her and enfolded her in his arms. ‘You know I can’t. I didn’t know it was possible to fall in love so quickly, so easily and – so completely.’

Triumphant, she laughed softly against his ear, standing on tiptoe to nibble his lobe with gentle teeth until he buried his head against her neck. ‘Why did I come here? Why did I ever have to meet you?’ he murmured.

‘Do you wish you hadn’t? Do you wish we’d never met?’

He lifted his head and cupped her face between hands that were gentle. ‘Oh, no. Never that! Maybe it would have been better if we hadn’t. But whatever happens, I shall never say I wish I hadn’t known you.’

He began to help her about the farm. She taught him how to milk the cows, how to harness and drive the horses into the fields.

‘I’ve told Mrs Harris that I’m staying on to help out a bit with the spring sowing,’ he told Esther. ‘I’m still on sick leave from the army . . .’ His voice trailed away and he avoided meeting the enquiry in her eyes.

Esther had to bite her lip to stop the question being spoken aloud. How long? How long have we got left?

‘It’ll look better if we’re working together, if . . .’

‘Jonathan, I don’t care what it looks like.’ She spoke sharply, trying to hide her fear of his leaving. At least she was determined to make the most of every minute. ‘I don’t care what people think – or say.’

He shook his head sadly at her. ‘Oh, Esther, but I do. I care for your sake. I wouldn’t harm you for the world and when I think what people must be thinking, must be saying, about us – about you . . .’