Adam, surprisingly, was doing a goat-milking demonstration, then giving out samples of the pasteurised result for visitors to taste, and Maisie paused for amoment to watch, her heart bursting with love.
Soon she would take Adam up on his offer to move in with him – but not into his spare room. If she was going to live with a man, she was going to do itproperly. The thought made her tingle all over.
The rest of the day was filled with frantic activity and didn’t end until long after the last of the visitors had left and the clean-up operation was complete.
Tired but happy, Maisie joined her family in the dining room for a bowl of the curry that Otto had made, and a glass of wine to celebrate a job well done. She had just done a final check on the animals and was the last to sit down at the table.
Dulcie called for quiet before everyone tucked in. ‘We just want to say thank youfor all your help,’ she announced, taking hold of Otto’s hand and gazing around the room. ‘We couldn’t have done it without you, and I’m already looking forward to the next one,’ she added, and everyone groaned good-naturedly. ‘Before you start filling your faces with Otto’s delicious curry, I also want to tell you that I’ve sold the old farmhouse, so we’ve got a bit of extra cash to play with.’
‘Who to?’ Nikki asked, her fork poised above her bowl. ‘I thought you were going to give it to Jay.’
‘He didn’t want it. However, Adamdid. We’re signing the contracts next week.’
Maisie was stunned. He’d kept that quiet; so had Dulcie, for that matter.
Adam said, ‘It’s going to take a lot of time and money to make it habitable, butit’ll be fantastic when it’s done. I’ll have room for my workshop, and Maisie will have room for her kennels, or a cattery, or a wildlife sanctuary – or whatever she wants to do.’
Maisie was stunned. ‘Do you mean that?’
‘I do, but it’s going to be hard work,’ he warned.
‘I don’t care!’ Maisie cried, throwing her arms around him. ‘This is a dream come true.’
She had never been so happy. With a wonderful man by her side and a bright future ahead, she couldn’t wait to get started.
Maisie Fairfax had kissed her last frog!
