“If that wall comes down, there’ll be enough space for an open plan kitchen-diner, and if we add on at the back, I could include Velux windows.” Sorrell looked up as if she could see them now, the light already pouring in.

Zack laughed. “When are you planning on this starting? It’s January. No one likes building in the winter.”

“My builders do,” she said with a pout. “The ones you stole off me.” The pout became a coy glance; one he knew thoroughly by now.

He folded his arms across his chest and stretched to his full height. “No. You aren’t poaching them until absolutely everything is finished. And besides, you need to get the plans drawn up, and planning permission.” But it meant she was staying.

The last few days had been a whirlwind of police interviews—although she didn’t have too much information so this hadn’t been the biggest take up of her time; visits from her sister and nephew and niece and half of Severton who had come to wish her well, along with getting what gossip they could. Lena was back home, and home to her was the hotel. There were regular police visits as they still hadn’t found the man who had assaulted her, the investigation remaining ongoing.

As did life.

“That’s all doable in a few weeks. I’ve got everyone booked in. I just wanted to see what you thought,” she said, doing a full three-sixty of the room: the old fashioned sofa that he was pretty sure was full of dust and potentially dust loving animals, the ancient TV in the corner that could be donated to a museum and the orange and brown curtains hanging at the windows that needed to be burned.

Zack laughed, but didn’t lean on anything. Even he had standards. “So when are you hoping this is done by?” he said.

“Easter,” she said. “Then Lena can have the little cottage with Abby. She’s mentioned about wanting to move out of town.”

Zack raised a brow.

“Not sure why. For a place where everyone knows your business there are a ton of secrets,” she said. “One not so well-kept secret is that Jake’s kicking you out.”

He stood up a little straighter. He had sworn his cousin to secrecy, not wanting to put pressure on him or Sorrell by her knowing this. He’d been looking to rent somewhere in town while he decided on whether to buy somewhere or to see how things progressed with the pair of them. “Kind of. He’s needing more workers on the farm for his next project and has found a manager, but one who comes with a wife and kids. My place is ideal.” He wasn’t pissed off about it; him moving there had always been temporary. There was the option of moving into the new Sunrise building, but he spent enough of his life there already.

“So why don’t you think about moving in with me when the cottage is done?” she said. “I know it’s soon and people are going to say we’re rushing things...”

“We don’t have to tell anyone.”

“But I’ll want you to have an input on how it looks. You know, what sort of bathroom and that sort of thing,” she said, looking firm and decisive. He loved it when she was like this.

“I want a big ass walk in shower and a huge bath so that we can fit in both together without me banging my head,” he said, referencing the mad half hour they’d spent that morning before Sorrell had gone downstairs to oversee breakfast for the guests.

“See, the builders will guess…”

“But they won’t say anything. They don’t even say anything when an alpaca steals their sandwiches anymore. They’re conditioned to keep schtum,” he said, gathering her in his arms. “We should go and get ready for tonight.”

“A twelfth night party…” She rolled her eyes.

“It’s Severton tradition. And it’s for the kids. They love it,” he said. “It’s a chance for them to boss the adults about.”

“Which they do anyway. I think Jonny needs to limit the amount of time Sadie spends with Rayah,” Sorrell said. “She’s starting to sound like her.”

“That’s a fair point. Anyway, we should leave the dust mites to their dinner and go get ours. Wes is the Lord of Misrule and I want to be there to heckle him when he’s crowned.”

“I thought it should be a child who takes the lead?” she said.

It was the day when the underlings—servants or children in this case —became the rule makers. Over the years, because of work and the Christmas period being long enough, the twelfth night celebrations had become something more for the children rather than the adults.

“It’s Wes who’s organised it, so he gets to be the Lord. It stops complete pandemonium from breaking out everywhere. The last time a kid was in charge, the fire brigade ended up being called out because there were six kids stuck in trees and one on the roof,” he said, thinking back about twenty-two years.

“Let me guess,” Sorrell said, following him out of the cottage into the snow that was gradually melting. “The lord that year was Jake.”

“Got it in one. He’s the Lord of Misrule again next year,” Zack said.

“You’ll have to think of something to throw his plans of world domination. Or Severton domination at least,” she said and stopped, pulling him to face her. “You never answered my question. About moving in with me in a few months.”

He grinned, moving her hair back from her face. “Even if you chose a lime green bathroom suite with a tiny shower and no bath, I’d still be taking you up on that offer.”

“Good,” she said, “I kind of like you being around.”

“Me too. Even though you stole my builders.”