I could feel a blush beginning to bloom.

‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I guess, but I get the feeling there’s something else.’

‘Something else?’ I croaked as my mouth went dry.

‘Um,’ he nodded.

‘No,’ I said, ‘nothing else. I think you’re great.’

My cheeks glowed an even deeper shade of red.

‘Well, that’s all right then,’ he softly said, ‘because I think you’re great too.’

I’d suddenly completely lost track of what I was supposed to be doing. The pan was dangerously close to boiling over, so I quickly turned it off and turned my attention to the cupboard where Dad had always kept his supply of chocolate.

‘Liza,’ Ned throatily said.

I was just about to turn around when his phone began to ring.

‘You’d better get that,’ I said, reaching up for a bar that was eighty per cent cocoa and breaking it in half.

‘Damn,’ he muttered, pulling the phone out of his pocket as I broke the generous chocolate chunk into smaller pieces and slid them into the pan. ‘Hello.’

He was still talking when the chocolate had completely melted, turning the milk dark and velvety smooth. I placed his marshmallow-laden mug on the table next to him and quickly took myself off to bed. As I sipped my drink and slipped between the sheets, I couldn’t help thinking I was going to have to find a way to nip my developing feelings for Ned firmly in the bud and fast.

By mid-afternoon on Thursday, excitement for the evening launch had reached fever pitch. The whole of Wynter’s Trees was engulfed in a party atmosphere and I was surprised to find that I was well and truly caught up in it.

On more than one occasion I wished I could tell my dad that I finally had some idea about what he had meant when he talked about the enchantment of the place, but I was battling hard to temper my enthusiasm. I’d only been here a week and knew that when reality struck, along with the sense of post-Christmas isolation, it wouldn’t take long for the novelty to wear off.

Wynter’s Trees had proved surprisingly manageable, fun even, in this teeny tiny dose, but long-term it still wasn’t the place for me. And, as I didn’t want Ned or David interpreting my current enthusiasm and willingness to help out as anything more meaningful, I knew I was going to have to dial my reactions down a bit. I was still fully committed to my travel plans and setting up my own business. Nothing was going to sway me from those.

‘Liza!’ called Wren, beckoning me over. ‘Did you make all these?’