‘Of course, you’ll get the most out of this course if you throw yourself in and so we ask you to join in the chores. Everything from feeding the animals, collecting the hens’ eggs, and bringing in the cows, to picking the fruit and sweeping out the barns. There are also other things you can get involved in if you want to. You can do as little or as much as you want. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided throughout the week but at the weekends you have to fend for yourself unless you’re staying in the hotel. But you’ll be given provisions to cook with and there are some excellent restaurants in Dingle about twenty kilometres away which I’d urge you to check out, and there are also lots of pubs roundabout here.

‘Towards the end of the course, we’ll be having our annual autumn Orchard Party which you’ll be welcome to join. I’ll tell you more about that in time.’

Fliss clapped her hands. ‘I’ve heard all about the orchard party – it’s famous. I’m so glad I’m going to be here for it.’ Her face held the smugness of knowing that no one else had a clue what it was.

‘Suck-up,’ muttered Jason beneath his breath.

Adrienne ignored him, favoured Fliss with a brief, approving, if slightly shrewd smile and continued. ‘While you’re here, you’re free to roam over all of our land. We own everything from here down to the sea and there’s a path down to the main road that takes you to the beach. Just make sure you shut any gates behind you if you’re out walking. Any questions?’

It seemed pretty comprehensive and Hannah couldn’t think of anything in response.

‘What time do we start in the mornings?’ asked Jason warily.

‘Breakfast is at seven-thirty. We start at nine, but if you’ve chores like feeding the hens, you’ll have to be up and away a bit earlier.’

‘I’ve never fed hens,’ said Meredith, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. ‘Or collected fresh eggs.’

‘There’s nothing quite like a fresh organic free-range egg.’ Adrienne beamed. ‘Once you’ve had one, you’ll never taste another like it.’

Hannah wasn’t about to rock the boat but she was pretty sure there was an awful lot of hype in Adrienne’s words. An egg was an egg at the end of the day.

‘I didn’t know we were here to work.’ Fliss’s nostrils flared.

‘Me neither,’ grumbled Jason and the two of them glared at each other, as if horrified that they agreed about anything.

‘It’s not work,’ chided Adrienne. ‘It’s all about appreciating and understanding where our food comes from. Come on, I’ll show you around.’