The conversation between us flowed easily, and I was grateful that Ned had gone to the trouble to make my first evening back as stress free as possible. As I looked across at him, I realised just how like David, in that respect, he was.

‘So,’ I said, turning my attention back to the focus of David’s recent call, ‘do you think it’s going to take long to get the papers drawn up to sell and transfer your dad’s share in the business to you?’

Ned helped himself to another ladle of stew, then looked at me. Now his hair was completely dry I could see it was touched by chestnut highlights.

‘I’m not sure, to be honest,’ he told me. ‘All Dad’s done so far is brief his solicitor about what might be happening. He didn’t want to do more than that until we’d met and you’d decided if you were happy for him to sell to me or not.’

There was no doubt in my mind that Ned was going to win my seal of approval. In fact, he was already well on his way to receiving a gold star, hopefully along with my share in the business too.

‘Why?’ he asked. ‘Are you in a rush to get away again? I was hoping to run you through the new ideas I have for the place. You never know, you might even fancy sticking around to help me get some of them up and running.’

It wasn’t the time to explain that whatever he had in mind wasn’t going to matter to me because I was planning to leave for good, so I just played along and tried not to feel too guilty about it.

‘I’m not in too much of a rush,’ I told him, choosing my words with care. ‘But I’m going to travel soon, so I won’t be staying here for long.’

‘Dad did say you had plans to see a bit of the world,’ Ned nodded. ‘And he’s told you he has too, hasn’t he?’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘New Zealand.’

‘And that’s just for starters,’ Ned laughed. ‘I reckon he and my aunt will be taking a full global tour if Dad has his way.’

‘That would be amazing.’

I’d never had David down as a global explorer before. I had assumed his roots were too established in Norfolk to take such a monumental trip.

‘And where are you heading?’ Ned asked me.

‘Japan,’ I told him, ‘Or maybe Iceland.’

‘Wow,’ he whistled. ‘Not both?’

I thought about that. ‘Perhaps,’ I eventually said. ‘It’s going to depend on what Father Christmas puts in my stocking this year.’

If my shares raised enough, and I was careful with my budgeting, travelling to both sides of the world might turn out be a possibility.