‘I know you don’t want a fuss, Dad,’ Ned carried on, sounding choked, ‘and I have no intention of making one, but I couldn’t possibly let this opportunity go by without saying thank you. Thank you for encouraging me to come here and join you in this incredible and much-loved business that Liza’s dad established. Thank you for giving me the chance to put my plans into action and of course, the biggest thank you of all, for somehow managing to get this wonderful woman sitting next to me to come back.’

I let out a long breath, aware that everyone’s eyes were on me. So much for getting off the hook.

‘Liza,’ he said, and I felt tears prick my eyes as I looked up at him. ‘I know we’ve had a few differences of opinion these last few weeks, but Dad was determined I shouldn’t give up trying to convince you that you belong here.’

I was aware of some muttering around the table. It was hardly surprising, given that no one beyond myself, Ned and David had known I’d felt otherwise. David had already told me he’d never stopped hoping I would change my mind about selling and now I realised that the many things that Ned had had me do – replanting the tree, decorating the lodge and so on – had been his way of trying to ignite the Wynter’s Trees flame in my heart too.

‘But of course,’ he carried on, ‘I was never going to stop trying to do that, because you captured my heart the moment you arrived and I would have done everything in my power to prove to you that your future was destined to be here.’

‘Even risk hypothermia,’ I laughed.

‘Even that,’ Ned joined in.

He leant down to kiss me on the lips and a cheer went up as I willingly reciprocated.

‘So,’ Ned then said, getting his toast back on track. ‘To Dad, with love and thanks. We hope you enjoy your travels and your retirement, but not so much that we can’t tempt you out of it again next Christmas, when we need a hand!’

We all stood and raised our glasses.

‘To David,’ we chorused. ‘Happy retirement.’

We were all a little teary eyed after that, so Ned set some music playing and refilled everyone’s glasses and the emotional atmosphere was soon replaced with something far more festive. I was able to briskly gloss over the questions which came my way about what Ned had meant and no one was still any the wiser that I had originally been planning to leave and never come back.