‘That’s as maybe,’ David astutely responded, ‘but you have unfinished business here, Liza. You know you do. And until you face up to it, your life is never going to work right. It won’t matter where in the world you run to; the loose ends you still have to tie up here will always be at the back of your mind, waiting to trip you up.’

It was a low blow, but a perfectly placed one.

I had unplugged the landline and turned off my mobile after David’s call, but I needn’t have bothered because when I reconnected everything a few days later, there were no waiting texts or messages. There were no further emails either.

The silence was a surprise, but the quiet had given me the time and space to mull everything over and within that time, I had made another big decision. A huge one, actually. I wasn’t going to tie up the loose ends David had flagged up; I was going to cut right through them.

If this Edward was as ambitious as his father suggested, then he would doubtless jump at the chance of buying my shares too. He could become the sole proprietor of Wynter’s Trees. And, as a result, I’d be free of my father’s unwanted legacy and I’d have even more money to dedicate to setting up and launching my art therapy business. It was the perfect plan.

‘David, hi.’ I said, once I’d plucked up the courage to call him back. ‘It’s Liza.’

‘Liza,’ he said, clearly surprised.

‘This might come as a bit of a shock,’ I quickly said, before I could change my mind, ‘but I’ve been thinking about what you said and I’ve decided you’re right. I do need to come back.’

‘You have?’ he asked. ‘You do?’

He sounded flabbergasted, but given that he’d been trying to coax me into returning for the last four years, that was only to be expected.

‘Yes,’ I reiterated. ‘I have and I do. I’m coming back to Wynmouth and I’m going to get to know Edward.’

‘Well, that’s wonderful!’ He sounded absolutely over the moon, but I knew his good mood wouldn’t last once I arrived and explained what I had in mind.

Had I been able to sort it all online I would have been tempted, but given the care David had lavished on the business and the way he’d tried to look out for me, even though I hadn’t let him, I knew I owed it to him to give him a face-to-face explanation.

‘This really is the best news,’ David gushed on. ‘I’m so pleased and I know Edward will be too.’

I hoped he was right about that. I hoped Edward would be so pleased he’d jump at the chance of investing further and taking Wynter’s Trees on single-handed.