‘I’ll tell Dad not to say anything,’ he told me. ‘Not that I think he will, given how badly he wants you to change your mind, and we’ll see how things stand in a couple of weeks.’

‘All right.’

He looked as though he was about to say something else, but then changed his mind. He picked up the signs and made for the door with Bandit on his heels.

‘I’ll go and pin these up and then come back to help tidy up.’

I knew that wasn’t what he’d originally been going to say.

‘No, it’s fine.’ I insisted. ‘You go and get on. I get the feeling it’s going to be all hands on deck today.’

‘Yes,’ he said, as another early arrival lined up behind the first. ‘I think you might be right.’

From my vantage point behind the sitting room curtains, I could see the yard was heaving before ten o’clock and counting the number of people rushing about, carrying boxes, bags and shelving units to and fro, I guessed everyone on Ned’s list had arrived.

They were certainly eager and even though I was fascinated to find out what the many boxes and bags contained, I hung back, taking my time to load the dishwasher and plumping cushions on the pretence of being too busy to go out and introduce myself to the group of strangers.

That said, I had spotted one familiar face among the throng. Hope had arrived in a farm truck with a man who I guessed was her partner, given that they had kissed while unloading boxes, and they were now ferrying those into the barn, rather than one of the huts.

I was just toying with the idea of hiding out upstairs for a bit when Ned strode in, bringing with him a blast of freezing air which was fast becoming his trademark arrival.

‘You all sorted?’ he asked, his cheeks flushed with cold. ‘Only I said I’d come and fetch you. We’re just stopping for a quick break, so now’s the perfect time to say hello.’

I would have much rather waited until everyone was back in their own huts and I could have faced them in smaller numbers, but lingering in the lodge for too long had put paid to that.

‘All right,’ I nervously said. ‘I’ll just grab a coat.’

‘Layer up,’ Ned advised. ‘It’s really cold.’

He wasn’t wrong. The air that hit me was almost as chilled as that which had blasted me on the beach the day before, but at least I could blame the plummeting temperature for my rosy glow, rather than my nerves.

‘Everyone,’ Ned loudly said, drawing their attention. ‘This is Liza Wynter.’

‘Well, of course it is,’ said a woman I knew very well. ‘Hello, my darling.’