‘I’ll leave you to get on,’ I added, quickly rushing off.

My breath streamed ahead of me as I regathered my wits. That had been a close call. The sooner Ned gave me the nod to tell everyone the truth, the better.

‘How’s it all looking out there?’ David asked when I ventured back over to the office, later in the day.

Both he and Ned were working at their desks. David had been engrossed in paperwork and Ned was frowning at his laptop screen. I was certain there hadn’t been anywhere near that amount of admin when Dad ran the business.

‘Good,’ I said. ‘Noah and Abbie have completely rearranged the space in their hut and they’re going to see how they get on over the weekend.’

‘Well, as long as they’re both sure,’ Ned muttered. ‘Because there won’t be time to make big changes after then.’

‘Of course, there will,’ I responded, surprised by his gruff response. ‘If everyone pitches in, it’ll take no time at all, but I’m sure it won’t come to that. A few of us have just been in there, playing the role of customers and Abbie could move about much more freely. Besides, I doubt there’ll be the same concentrated influx of people as we had last night, will there, David?’

‘I wouldn’t have thought so,’ he thoughtfully agreed. ‘It’ll be more a steady flow of footfall now.’

‘We hope,’ Ned said gloomily.

Considering the success of the night before, he sounded remarkably morose.

‘Right then,’ I said, backing out for fear of saying the wrong thing and further darkening his mood, ‘I’ll leave you to it.’

Ned didn’t say anything further and David gave me a sympathetic smile. I wasn’t quite out of earshot before he spoke to his son.

‘I don’t know what’s up with you, my boy,’ he said, ‘but you need to snap out of it. You’re not usually so stressed. I know the huts are a big change and so is the plantation being open for longer, but it’s what you wanted, isn’t it?’

I heard Ned push his chair away from the desk and sigh.

‘Yes,’ he quietly said, ‘you know it is and last night proved that having the huts here is going to work well.’

‘So, what’s the problem?’

Ned was quiet for a moment.

‘I’m scared I’m not going to be able to raise the money to buy Liza out,’ he eventually said, ‘and if I don’t, who the hell is she going to end up selling to?’

‘So, you do want to take it all on, then?’

‘Of course, I do.’ Ned told him. ‘How could I not? That said, I’d still prefer it if she didn’t sell at all.’

‘Well,’ said David. ‘You never know, she might change her mind.’