I risked a glance and the smile Ned gave me made my heart flutter in response. Clearly, it was going to take a while for it to toe the same line as my head was trying to.

‘That’s a really lovely idea,’ he beamed.

‘I’m pleased you think so,’ I puffed. ‘And as you’re so impressed, and my arms are about to drop off, you can go and wash your hands, then come back to help. You’ll be able to make your wish while you’re helping me out.’

‘My wish?’

‘Yes,’ I said, checking Mum’s recipe again. ‘It’s another tradition. You make a wish when you stir the pudding. Mum, Dad and I always used to do it.’

‘Does that mean we get a wish for each pudding?’

‘No,’ I laughed, realising there were going to be close to a dozen, ‘don’t be so greedy. We’ll both wish on the one I’m making for the lodge.’

‘All right,’ he agreed, looking deep into my eyes, ‘if there’s really any magic in it, one should be enough, shouldn’t it?’

‘I’d say so,’ I nodded, longing to know what he was going to wish for.

Making good on my commitment to help Ned make my last Christmas at Wynter’s Trees a memorable one and my dad proud, I was up extra early on Monday morning, ready to apologise to Maya the moment she arrived. I also wanted to throw myself into another creative idea which had landed the evening before and would require both artistic and practical skill and distract me from my more unsettling thoughts.

‘Now what are you up to?’ Ned asked, when he found me taping sheets of paper together on the floor in front of the log burner.

Bandit, keen to get involved, was getting in the way, but I didn’t have the heart to push him aside and consequently the paper was becoming rather crumpled.

‘It’s a surprise,’ I said as Bandit took an exploratory bite of the sheet he was laying on. ‘Hey,’ I tutted. ‘That’s not helping, hound.’

‘Come on,’ said Ned, patting his leg. ‘Let’s go for a run and leave Liza to her crafting session.’

I soon finished drawing up the outline of what I had in mind and was rifling through the barn stores when I heard someone behind me. It was still rather dark and thanks to the inadequate overhead light, I was struggling to see what was there.

‘Do you know if there are any sheets of MDF or bits of ply kicking about anywhere?’ I called over my shoulder, assuming it was Ned. ‘I don’t want to go and buy new, if there’s some leftover.’

‘I wouldn’t know,’ said Maya’s voice. ‘My forte is trees that are still growing.’

‘Maya,’ I said, jumping down from the stepladder. ‘Just the person I wanted to see.’