‘Adrienne, that’s a lovely offer but you know as well as I do that I’m never going to be a cook. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve learned a lot and I’m coming around to your way of thinking about our food and where it comes from, but I don’t have your passion, Jason’s skill, Fliss’s determination, or Alan and Meredith’s love of food. And much as I’ve loved being here, my job is important to me…’ her words died.

‘Could you live here?’

Hannah caught her lip between her teeth. What was stopping her? Really?

‘It’s a… a big risk.’

‘Is it?’ Adrienne asked with one of her insightful knowing looks. ‘What is it you’d be losing?’

Hannah winced, but was grateful for Adrienne’s blunt questions. What did she have to lose? Her flat? The place that she slept in rather than lived in. Her job? She’d been headhunted a dozen times in the last year and then there was Aidan. In the short term she could perhaps cover Sorcha’s maternity leave. The dazzling thought blossomed in her head.

There was nothing to stop her. She could go anywhere. Why not Ireland? Why not Kerry?

The idea shimmered in her head like an elusive butterfly that she was almost too afraid to reach out and capture for fear of damaging its wings. But what about Conor? How would he react if she decided to stay?

‘Ah, look at the time, I must be away and see how Jason is doing with his beloved pigs. If he didn’t need to go back and show his boss what he can do, I’d be tempted to invite him to stay too. He has a way with those boys but he has his own destiny to fulfil. He’s going to a great chef one day. I feel it all the way to my bones.’ She smiled and began to walk briskly away, and then paused. ‘You should think about staying. Think about what you have to lose and what you have to gain.’ And with her usual cryptic smile, she disappeared.

‘Well that was helpful,’ said Hannah to herself, shooing Attila away from her foot. The hen squawked and gave her foot one last jab before striding off to scold and peck at one of the other chickens who’d had the effrontery to attempt to pick up a piece of broccoli in her path. She took her phone out of her pocket and dialled Aidan’s number.

Chapter Twenty-Four

‘Are you all right, Hannah?’ asked Meredith at lunchtime.

Hannah winced. ‘Yes. A lot on my mind, that’s all.’ Inside her head it was like a blinking tennis match, with Ireland and England Hannah battling things out. At the moment, Ireland Hannah was absolutely trouncing England Hannah. Game set and match to staying in Ireland, which was crazy, wasn’t it?