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I’ve really been looking forward to seeing some of the places we’re going to; they’re all great locations, I’m sure you’ll love it …’ His enthusiasm was contagious.
    ‘Okay , fine. We’ll go together.’
    He sm iled a broad sexy smile, looked decidedly pleased with himself and changed the subject, which is when I realised the man had known all along he’d talk me round. I couldn’t help but smile.
    ‘ And a couple of these,’ he said brightly, gathering the books from the table and packing them into a small rucksack, ‘are tourist books for the places we’re going to visit.’
    I leant forward. ‘Oh, can I see them? Grimes didn’t actually say where we’re going.’
    ‘ No, no, no. I’m the book holder and each destination is to be revealed only as we move from place to place. Rosamund was particularly firm about that.’
    ‘ Seriously?’
    ‘ Seriously.’ He flashed me a cheeky wink. ‘I’ll tell you more later, once we’ve landed and feel like the journey’s got going. We’re booked on Flybe 109 to Leeds from Exeter. It departs at four o’clock. I was told you would have your passport with you. Please, please tell me that’s correct!’
    I nodded; I couldn’t say no, Grimes had seen it , the conniving toad!
    ‘ Bob Grimes will be here soon to give me all of the paperwork and drive us to the airport.’ I got the gist of why we were flying to Leeds.
    ‘ Would I be correct if I guessed Mum was taking me back to her northern roots?’
    ‘ I believe that would be a correct assumption, yes.’
    I had to smile. He was trying so hard to make this crazy situation work – make me happy and follow Mum’s wishes. It was easy to see why she had singled him out to be my companion. I returned to the bread and butter pudding while he gestured to the waitress and asked for some fresh water for the teapots and two clean cups.
    ‘ I don’t know about you,’ he said, ‘but I have to have a fresh, hot cuppa with my pudding. All my jabbering has made the last one go cold.’
    Whoever this man was , we were certainly on the same wavelength, and although my plan to travel alone had somehow been scuppered before it ventured past the blueprint stage, I had the vaguest of inclinations that this journey might prove to be worthwhile after all.

Part Two
     
    The Yorkshire Dales
    England
     
    22–24 May
     

 
    Chapter Six
     
    The flight to Leeds was short – fifty minutes at the most. When the aircraft pushed back from the stand, the steward ended his safety brief by reminding all passengers to switch off their mobile phones. Alasdair tilted his head towards mine but kept his gaze towards the front of the aircraft. ‘There is one minor detail I haven’t told you yet,’ he said.
    ‘Go on.’
    He nodded towards the phone in my hand.
    ‘Your mum wanted you to leave your phone turned off for the duration of the trip.’
    My head whipped through ninety degrees to look at him directly.
    ‘Why?’
    ‘N o distractions.’
    I considered this request for a second … or maybe even two.
    ‘ The answer to that would be no, absolutely not.’ I jostled in my seat. ‘Turn off my phone? No way, I need it for work. I answer my emails from it. I’ve gone along with everything else, but no, no way.’
    ‘H mm,’ he muttered. His thumb and forefinger stroked the lobe of his ear. ‘Well, how about if we both keep our phones turned off, and just check for messages at the end of each day. That’s a fair compromise surely?’
    ‘I don’t need a compromise, thank you.’ I lowered my head to glance through the aircraft window.
    ‘Fair enough,’ he said – that was easier than expected – ‘although to be fair, Rosamund said …’ He shook his head, ‘no, it doesn’t matter …’
    ‘What? What did Mum say?’
    He sat back and sighed.
    ‘She said you would find it difficult to live without your phone, that it was permanently glued to your hand.’ I glanced down to the phone in my hand and quickly