Maya was bold as well as incorrigible and she had the ability to make Ned’s smile stretch far wider than I had ever seen it. As good as she had made me feel about myself, I realised I was a little jealous of her. She was beautiful, totally in love with Wynter’s, an expert in the business and, judging by the look on her face, rather smitten with Ned. Looking at the pair of them standing side by side, I could see they would make the perfect couple.

‘No, you don’t,’ tutted Ned, taking a step away from the mistletoe. ‘Bugger off and make yourself useful in the yard for a bit while I get the books out.’

‘There!’ she grinned at me. ‘Listen to the way he talks to your employees, Liza. I see a disciplinary in your future, if you’re not careful, Edward.’

Ned shook his head.

‘I can help with the trees too, if you like,’ I piped up, even though I had no desire to head out into the chilly plantation. ‘Many hands and all that.’

‘No, it’s all right,’ said Ned, opening the filing cabinet. ‘We’ve got a system in place and the job won’t take long once we get going. I’m sure you’ve got other things to do to keep you occupied.’

I should have been grateful that Ned had someone so competent to work alongside him, especially as after Christmas he was potentially going to be in sole charge, but I would have much preferred it if his colleague was someone less attractive. I had absolutely no right to think it, but that was how I felt.

In spite of my twinge of unjustified jealousy, Maya’s constant and cheery presence, combined with the overheard conversation about Ned kissing her when he was drunk, did have one positive benefit. It very effectively put the lid on me mooning over memories of our kiss and the explicit reindeer rug fantasies.

Her timely arrival turned my thoughts back to my travel and business plans, but there was an unsettling feeling in the back of my mind, that neither felt quite as all-consuming as they had before. I still had every intention of pushing ahead with both, but while I was at Wynter’s Trees, and with Ned still to make a formal offer for my shares, they felt further out of reach than they had before.

‘You all right, my love?’ Sue asked towards the end of the week, when I was doing the tea round in the huts. ‘You’ve been looking a bit glum the last few days.’