Page 103 of Moonlight Kisses at Willow Tree Hall

Lily’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Sorry,’ she mumbled, wiping her eyes. ‘You’re right. I can’t remember the last time he was outside like this.’

‘It was a clever idea of Jack’s,’ said Arthur, offering her his handkerchief. ‘And I’m sure once he has a small project like the apple press to concentrate on then he’ll feel even better.’

‘You’re right,’ said Lily. She looked across at the nearest tree. ‘There are an awful lot of apples here.’

‘There’s no rush to pick them all,’ Arthur told her. ‘I don’t think they’re going anywhere any time soon.’

‘The trouble is that Grandad apparently told Jack that they need to be picked this week before the bad weather arrives.’

‘Ah, well, Bert would be right about these things.’ Arthur frowned, his grey eyebrows knitting together in thought. ‘Do you know, in the good old days, the whole village used to turn out for the apple harvest.’

‘Really?’

Arthur smiled in memory. ‘Oh, yes! It was such fun! I wonder if perhaps we could make a day of it, don’t you think?’

‘What’s all this?’ asked Richard, as he and Jack joined them outside the shed.

‘Your daughter was concerned about the large harvest required,’ said Arthur. ‘Do you remember when we all used to help out?’

‘Oh, yes,’ said her dad, nodding. ‘We used to carry on quite late into the night, from what I recall.’

‘Bert mentioned the harvest moon is due the next couple of nights,’ said Jack.

‘Is it?’ said Arthur. ‘Then it sounds as if all of our stars have aligned just in time, wouldn’t you say? I shall ask my sister to put the word out to see if there’s enough people in the village to help out tomorrow.’

‘That’s a cracking idea,’ said Richard, nodding his approval.

In fact, her dad was lively and animated the whole journey back from Willow Tree Hall and Lily couldn’t help but smile at the contrast from the sullen man she had taken with her only a few hours previously.

41

Harvest day dawned bright and sunny. And thank goodness for that, thought Lily.

She stood in the middle of the orchard and mentally rolled up her sleeves. There were so many apples to harvest. And at that moment, it was just her.

She stood still for a second, relishing the peace where she could hear nothing but the soft wind rustling the many leaves on the trees.

But she was keeping everything crossed that the locals would all help out later and that the apples would be picked before the day was over.

The weatherman on the local news that morning had brought forward rain and high winds to the following day, so it was all or nothing today.

Her dad and Jack were working on the apple press, so for most of the morning it was just Lily to begin the harvest.

Despite the huge task ahead, she felt strangely calm. The sun was warm on her skin as she moved around the first tree. The air was alive with birdsong and insects. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

She took a moment to relish the beautiful countryside around her before grabbing one of the many buckets she had brought with her and reaching out to pick the first apple.

She had almost finished her first tree, except one lone apple remained high on a branch.

She stretched out onto her toes to try and grab it, but it was just out of reach and caused her stepladder to wobble alarmingly beneath her.

‘Careful.’

She glanced down and found Jack had grabbed the ladder to steady it.

‘What are you doing?’ he asked, looking up at her.

‘Trying to get that last apple,’ she told him. ‘Every single one needs to be harvested. But I can’t reach it.’