‘What is it?’ asked Ned. ‘You’ve got me worried now.’

I shook my head. ‘No,’ I said, ‘don’t be worried. It’s nothing bad.’

‘What is it then?’ David demanded.

‘Well,’ I began, lacing my fingers together in my lap. ‘I’ve been giving my future and my role here a lot of thought recently…’

A swift glance at the hope lighting up David’s eyes left me in no doubt that he was willing me to say I was moving back permanently.

‘And?’ encouraged Ned.

‘And,’ I said, pulling in another breath, ‘I’ve decided, like you, David,’ I added to try and make it sound as if we were in it together, ‘I’m going to sell my shares in the business.’

‘You’re going to what?’ David gasped, all the colour draining from his face.

‘Sell my shares,’ I repeated.

He looked absolutely horrified.

‘There are things I want to do with my life,’ I elaborated, but for some reason holding back my plans to set up my own business, ‘and I’ll need capital in order to achieve them. The only way I can raise it is by selling my stake in the business.’

Neither man said a word.

‘You did say that my life wouldn’t work right until I’d sorted a few things out here, didn’t you, David?’

Ned shot his father a look.

‘And having thought it all through very carefully, I now know that severing my connection to this place is a sure-fire way for me to do that.’

Ned shook his head.

‘You must know I’ve wanted to cut my ties to Wynter’s for a long time, David,’ I softly said.

‘You always told me that you thought Liza would eventually come back,’ Ned accusingly shot at his father. ‘Just give her time, you said, and she’ll come round.’

‘That was never going to happen.’ I clarified. ‘Not in a million years. Why did you think I’d stayed away?’

‘Jesus,’ he muttered, thrusting his hands into his hair and making it stand up on end.

‘And now you’re retiring, David, this feels like the perfect time…’

‘For who?’ Ned interrupted. ‘Who the hell are you planning to sell to? We don’t want just anyone taking over. They’re going to have the bigger share. What if they see things differently? What if they don’t envisage the same future for the place as I do?’

He was beginning to sound desperate.

‘That’s not going to be an issue,’ I tried to say reassuringly.

‘But how can you be sure, Liza?’

‘Because,’ I said, ‘I want to sell my shares to you.’

‘To me?’ he spluttered.

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I want you to take over the whole place, Ned.’