Ninni picked up one of the exercise books and opened it to read the first page. She looked up at him. ‘Do you know what this is?’

‘Those are recipes, right?’ He looked at the familiar set-up.

Ninni nodded. ‘Yes, but it’s a lot more than that. This book isn’t just a cookbook; it’s more like a journal of the farm.’

Jack leaned forward. ‘Really? Who wrote it?’

‘Agnar’s mother, Magni. Your grandmother, actually—’ Ninni smiled at his surprise. ‘You didn’t know that either, did you? It must be so strange to arrive at a place like this, not knowing anything about the people who lived there before. Especially since they are your family.’

Jack smiled. ‘It’s interesting, for sure. Tell me more about the book. What else is in it?’

Ninni stopped at one page and pointed. ‘Magni writes about the weather. Not surprising, not here on the island, at least. Then there’s a recipe on how to prepare lubbesild; it’s a traditional way of preparing herring, a bit like kippers. She says Agnar brought her some good fat herring.’ Ninni turned a few more pages. ‘And here are recipes for gooseberry jam and redcurrant jelly. That doesn’t sound half bad, actually.’

Jack stretched his legs. ‘It sounds … nice.’

‘There’s a detailed description on how to butcher and preserve a pig. With drawings. Nasty.’

‘I already know how to carve meat.’ Jack smiled again.

‘There’s also a description of how to knit woollen socks. That could come in handy during the winter,’ Ninni said.

‘Did she make them from the sheep’s wool?’

‘Maybe. I’m not sure when they started to keep sheep, to be honest.’

Ninni closed the book. ‘You should learn Norwegian if you want to read these. It gives you quite an insight into how the farm was run when Agnar was growing up. There’s also references to his childhood. She obviously loved him very much.’

He looked like he was considering it. Then he smiled slowly, making heat rise in the pit of her stomach. ‘Could you translate them for me? I will, of course, pay you for the work.’

Ninni couldn’t help smiling. ‘Are you sure you can afford it? My rates are pretty high.’

He grinned back at her. ‘Well, I think I can. I’d love to read them. Perhaps there are some recipes I can experiment with.’

‘I know Sigrid would kill for these.’

‘Olav’s partner? Why?’

‘She firmly believes that everything was done better before. As if the last fifty years have been wasted on making life easier, especially for women.’

‘I didn’t get the impression that Olav feels that way. The storehouse is professionally made, with loads of electricity and high tech freezers.’

‘He chose to live on an island with no cars, they don’t have a TV and the internet connection is hidden in the attic so the children won’t be corrupted by it,’ Ninni said.

Jack laughed. ‘That sounds bloody exhausting.’

‘Yes, it does, but they are dedicated to the cause.’