The forthright words were like a punch to the stomach and Hannah felt a little winded by them. In that one brief sentence, Adrienne had thrown all of Hannah’s well-constructed defences and arguments up in the air, scattering them like the hen’s grain on the floor around them. Hannah rolled the ball of one foot on top of a piece of grain, forward and back, irritated and thoughtful at the same time, unwilling to look up.

‘If you want something badly enough, most of the time you can make it happen,’ said Adrienne with a touch of sharpness.

Did that include making someone love you? The thought darted into her head like a strike of lightning. Hannah looked up and caught Adrienne’s eye. Did she know? Or was, ‘most of the time’, the get-out clause? Could she take a risk? What would Conor say if she told him she was going to stay? Would he think she expected something from him? Did she? That first night after they’d been kayaking he’d made it quite clear that whatever was between them had a sell-by date, but what if it didn’t? For the dozenth time she recalled that moment in the bar when she’d thought Conor might say something more. Had that been wishful thinking?

Adrienne looked out over the land and the two of them stood in silence for a minute before she turned to Hannah. ‘When I first came here, my husband thought I was mad for wanting to do this,’ she said as she swept a hand towards the horizon. ‘He humoured me at first until he saw that it was what I really wanted. And I really wanted it. I wanted this land, this way of life to be a legacy for my family. Yes, it was hard work, and when he died it was even harder but I was determined. I made sacrifices, perhaps some might say to the detriment of my children sometimes, but they’ve been well loved. I might not have been the best mother in the world but, rather selfishly, I knew that they had the best grandparents. I’ve built them that legacy. It was what I wanted and I’ve made it happen. If you want to stay in Ireland, what really is stopping you?’

Adrienne held Hannah’s gaze and Hannah tilted her chin and stared back. A dozen reasons why she couldn’t stay rose to skirt the tip of her tongue but that little voice, the voice of Ireland Hannah, persisted.

What if she did stay? Hannah looked out across the farm. It was such a beautiful place.

‘If you wanted, I’m sure we could find you a job. We can still make a cook of you, too.’

Hannah laughed as Adrienne’s words trailed off doubtfully.