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‘No,’ I say quietly. ‘That’s exactly how I felt too. Did you really consider not taking that job because of me?’

He puts his arm around me. ‘I really did. I thought about looking for jobs in London instead. But I told myself not to be ridiculous. For all I knew, you wouldn’t want to see me again after you’d gone back to university. So, I went for the interview and decided to take the job when they offered it to me. It’s a great firm, and I’m getting good experience there. But I don’t necessarily plan to be there forever –’

He breaks off, and I rest my head on his shoulder. ‘I’m glad. I mean, I’m glad that it’s a good place for you to work and that you’re enjoying it.’

I feel his shoulders shake as he laughs. ‘That’s it?’

I move closer to him. ‘I’m also pleased that it might not be forever.’

We sit in silence watching the sun slip closer towards the horizon.

‘We’d better pack up soon,’ I say at last. ‘We don’t want to be climbing back down the hill in the dark.’

‘Let’s watch a bit more of the sunset,’ he says.

I sigh. ‘It’s absolutely gorgeous, isn’t it? That’s why I decided to bring you up here. You get the best view for miles around. It’s lovely in the summer, but I think that sunset on a snowy day is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. But it gets dark very quickly once the sun reaches the horizon.’

He turns to face me. ‘In which case, I’d better not try to count down like I did on Christmas Eve.’

‘Not unless you want a broken ankle.’

He looks at the sky. ‘I reckon we have about fifteen minutes before the sun sets. Ten minutes to walk down the hill …’

‘And five for …?’ I ask.

‘This,’ he says, bending his head to kiss me.

Chapter Eight

Iwake on Friday with a pleasurable feeling of anticipation. I switch on my phone. There’s always a text waiting for me from Alex. He’s obviously an earlier riser than I am, at least during the holidays.

As I’d hoped, there’s a new notification on my screen.Ten o’clock - usual place?

I like that we’ve already fallen into a shorthand together. There’s no need for formal greetings and preliminaries. Besides, it will give nothing away to Mum if she manages to get a look at my phone. I’ve changed the passcode as a precaution, but there’s no real need. Mum is completely technologically challenged. Still, I feel safer with an entirely new code.

I was tempted to make it out of the letters of Alex’s name. But even if Mum would have been baffled, Jamie wouldn’t. And from the hints he’s been dropping all week, he has a fair idea of what’s going on.

There’s nothing I can do about that. Alex and I have agreed that we’ll let our families know we’re seeing each other at the New Year’s Eve party. Hopefully, we can find a private place at midnight. I can’t imagine the embarrassment of kissing him as the clock strikes, watched by so many curious pairs of eyes.

I wouldn’t put it past Mum to criticise our technique. I can hear her voice. ‘Not like that, Annie! Why are you so awkward? Go on, Alex, try again. Don’t take any notice of her. She’s just being difficult.’

I text him a quick thumbs up and jump out of bed.

There’s just enough time for a quick shower and breakfast before I have to leave. I hum to myself as I shower, careful to keep the volume low. Mum’s keen ears are quick to detect any unwonted cheerfulness in any of us.

No one is downstairs. I wonder where everyone is. Jamie stayed over at Melissa’s last night and won’t be back until this evening. Perhaps Mum and Dad have gone to the supermarket. Mum’s been complaining that her Christmas Eve food delivery has almost disappeared.

I switch on the kettle and pour myself a bowl of cereal, adding a generous splash of the full fat milk I find hidden at the back of the fridge. Mum has insisted that Dad drinks skimmed milk ever since the doctor told him his cholesterol was slightly raised.

I dump my bowl into the dishwasher and go upstairs to pack my bag. I have no idea what to take with me. Alex has been annoyingly vague.

You wouldn’t tell me where we were going. Now it’s your turn to sweat, he texted yesterday.

All he would tell me was that I should wear old clothes, which seems to rule out lunch at a Michelin starred restaurant. I’m thankful for that. I’m never comfortable in overly formal surroundings.

I leave the house, remembering to double lock the front door. Mum is convinced that Little Mickton is a hotbed of crime. She suspects all new inhabitants and visitors of being possible burglars. She only relaxes her vigilance when they’ve lived there for five years without displaying any obvious criminal tendencies.

I reach the spinney before Alex and walk up and down, stamping my feet to keep warm. The snow still hasn’t melted, although the temperature has at least climbed above zero during the past couple of days.

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