‘Right.’ She finally spoke. She wanted to know more, but they’d only just met and it didn’t seem right to launch into twenty questions. She realised she hardly knew this guy at all: most of it had been created in her own mind.

‘Well then, tell me all about life here at Warkton?’ He sounded like he wanted the focus off him. ‘What’s been happening here? It looks pretty sleepy, but I bet there’s more to it than meets the eye.’ Emma felt that could apply to Max too.

‘Well, it’s been an interesting year. I’ve been trying to source some new business as well as keep the shop going. And with making all the chocolates myself, that takes a lot of time.’

‘Yeah, running your own business is never easy, is it? You work all hours, have your staff to look after, and there’s a million rules and regulations to comply with. Our industry is a health and safety nightmare, keeping up with all the latest stipulations. Only right, really, but sometimes, honestly – how to climb a ladder training, how to hold a hammer?’ He gave a wry grin. ‘We’ve been climbing ladders and hammering nails in for twenty bloody years and now we’ve got to train for it?’

‘Tell me about it. I’ve got to keep up with all the health and hygiene regs, and all sorts. It’s not just making chocolate. I didn’t know the half of it when I started.’

‘I bet.’

‘I do love it, though. Can’t imagine doing anything else now. And yes, though the hours are long, it’s great knowing the business is mine and I can run it how I want. There’s no one to tell me what to do.’

They passed a middle-aged couple out walking their terrier. Said a brief ‘hello’ as the dogs circled each other, then resumed their stroll.

‘What did you do before then? I take it you came to chocolatiering from another career.’

‘Yes, I was a teacher. Secondary modern. I used to teach home tech, so cookery basically. That was the link really, baking, trying out recipes with chocolate.’

‘Ah, okay.’

‘Now teaching, a whole other ball game, that was. I didn’t mind the actual teaching of the kids. But the powers that be kept changing the rules, and the testing and paper trails you needed to record and monitor everything … The worst thing was, you’d just get used to one way, and then the whole system would change again. For me, it just felt that teaching had lost its heart, somehow. And then – then life changed for me, personally.’ She stopped. It was her turn to hold back, realising she had said too much already.

Max politely left it at that, for which she was grateful, turning the conversation to movies and music.