She told me she was already looking forward to working the next season at Wynter’s Trees and that she knew the business was going to go from strength to strength now Ned and I had got our acts together. I was sorely tempted to tell her about the forest school plan, but didn’t. Ned and I really needed to sit and talk it all out and prepare a proper schedule before we went public.

By the time Maya left, promising to keep mine and Ned’s relationship secret, I felt like I was floating again, and it wasn’t all down to the extra sugar I’d ingested. As I set to, cutting out large circles of fabric to wrap the puddings in, using the pinking shears to crimp the edges, I made sure I had my new journal to hand to jot down the sudden influx of new ideas which were crowding in.

Top of my personal to-do list was packing up my flat. I wouldn’t need to renew the lease, which was fortunately due to run out in the new year, now I was moving back to the lodge. I also made a note to talk to Ned about my travel plans, not that I was likely to forget, but who doesn’t love a list?

I wouldn’t be giving up my trip to see the northern lights and would persuade Ned to take the time off to come with me. I knew the stunningly illuminated Icelandic skies would be a spectacle he would enjoy. And a romantic one too. And I was very much looking forward to playing out that reindeer rug fantasy…

I had just finished wrapping up the last pudding bowl when I had another visitor.

‘David,’ I said, opening the door, ‘come in.’

‘I’m not going to keep you,’ he said, almost before I’d got the door shut, ‘and I know he wasn’t supposed to say anything, but I just wanted to tell you how absolutely thrilled I am about you and Ned.’

‘Oh David,’ I said, the sight of him so happy, causing my eyes to fill with tears.

I reached out and pulled him into a hug.

‘I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am,’ he said, sounding choked himself. ‘I just knew you two would make the perfect pairing.’

‘You never really did give up hoping that I’d change my mind about selling my shares in the business, did you?’ I smiled, releasing him.

‘No,’ he admitted. ‘I didn’t, although when I caught sight of Ned’s face after your chat and during Noah’s proposal last night, I did begin to wonder.’

Was it really less than a day since Ned and I had talked at the party? It felt like eons ago already.