Joyce threw her arms around her daughter and hugged her tight. ‘Oh, Suzie, that’s wonderful to hear! I’m so glad you’ve decided to forgive and forget.’

Roz continued to stare at Suzie who wasn’t returning the warmth of her mother’s embrace. Keeping her eyes on Roz, she spoke softly. ‘Forgiveness is one thing, but forget? That might take time.’

The air between Roz and Suzie, could have been cut with a knife, and Roz was flummoxed as to what was going through the other girl’s mind. Suzie was regarding her smugly, as though she knew something which Roz didn’t, but what could she know? Roz made sure she kept her cards close to her chest when it came to the other girl, but looking at Suzie with her face full of malicious intent, Roz knew she was up to no good. A chill ran down her spine. There could only be one answer: Felix!

Never breaking eye contact, she tried to keep the anxiety out of her voice as she spoke. ‘Bernie says you’ve learned just about everything there is to know at the farm; he says you’re doing really well.’

A knowing smile flickered on Suzie’s lips. ‘Bernie’s a good teacher, a lovely man. You’re a lucky girl, Roz, he’s obviously very keen on you.’

Roz swallowed. Damn and blast it, she was certain Suzie knew about Felix, and that Roz wasn’t being honest with Bernie.

‘Shan’t be a mo,’ said Roz, before walking as quickly as she could without raising suspicion towards the hay barn where she knew she would find Bernie.

As she walked through the open door, she turned to look at Suzie, and was not surprised to see that the other girl was watching her with interest whilst listening to her mother who was chatting away happily. Roz would have to hope and pray that Joyce didn’t let slip about Felix also going to Glasfryn for the holidays.

‘Hello!’

Roz was so lost in her thoughts, she started when Bernie greeted her. She drew a deep breath as she turned to face him. ‘There’s something I need to tell you.’

‘Oh?’ He rested the pitchfork against the wall. ‘Sounds ominous!’

‘I’ve been thinking about our relationship an awful lot lately, and whilst I know you had hopes that our friendship might develop into something more, I’ve decided that I need to concentrate on finding my parents, or at least doing all I can to find them.’ She eyed him sympathetically. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Oh, right,’ said Bernie in a subdued fashion. ‘There’s not a lot I can say to that.’ He hesitated. ‘Has this anything to do with Felix?’

The question had come out of the blue, nearly knocking Roz off her feet, so she said the first plausible thing that came to mind. ‘I was uncertain about Felix because I had too much going on in my life, and I don’t want to make the same mistake twice.’