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Danni rolled her eyes. “It’s a business deal, Hector. She gets her house, I get some breathing room. It’s just like you negotiating for feed or leasing the bottom field for the season, or any one of a hundred other little deals you make to keep the farm going.”

Hector gave her a flat look. “Right. And what happens when you start actually liking her?”

Danni burst into laughter. “Really? That’s what you’re worried about here? Wait until you actually meet her. She’s… impossible. Annoying, irritating, she gets right under your skin like sand at the beach.”

“Exactly your type,” Hector cut in. “Except she’s posh.”

Danni pulled a face. “Rude.”

“I’m trying to help here, Dan,” said Hector. “Come on. You don’t have to do this. You can come up with something else. I’ll help, if you want. We can sit down, brainstorm some ideas.”

Danni put her hand on the doorhandle. “If you want your tractor back and fixed, this is how it’s going to happen,” she said. “Now, you don’t have to come in. I didn’t have to tell you. But I did, because you’re my brother and I love you and I want you there. Even if this is all just play-acting. Are you coming, or not?”

He sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. “Fine. I’ll come and watch you make the worst decision of your life.”

“Oh no,” said Danni, opening the door. “I’ve made way worse decisions than this. What about when I bought those goats?”

And even Hector chuckled as they walked into the building.

It took a few minutes to figure out where to go and when they finally got the directions right, the two of them turned the corner to be confronted by Eleanor, who looked like a doll in a cream suit, a woman in a neat black suit that Danni assumed was Elizabeth, the friend and solicitor, and an older woman with an expensive shawl slung over her shoulders and a sharp look in her eyes.

Eyes that reminded Danni of Eleanor’s.

Danni suddenly found herself feeling oddly nervous. There was something about Eleanor’s grandmother that made her feel like she was being x-rayed, being tested and found wanting. She sniffed, wiped her hand on her jeans, and held it out, half-expecting to be ignored.

To her surprise, Isabella took her hand firmly and shook it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said politely. “You run a farm, I hear.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Danni, not knowing why she was addressing this woman like she was the queen, but feeling like it was necessary, nevertheless.

“Not an easy choice of occupation. Are you any good at it?”

Danni didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I am.”

Isabella eyed her for a long moment, then nodded, looking satisfied. “Good. At least one of you knows herself and what she’s doing.”

Danni glanced over at Eleanor, who looked both scandalized and slightly betrayed, and had to bite back a smile.

Isabella reached over and patted her granddaughter’s hand. “Perhaps this isn’t such a bad idea after all,” she said, eyes still on Danni and a small smile on her lips.

Eleanor looked as though she might be sick, and Danni found herself liking Isabella rather more than she’d really expected to.

???

Eleanor looked across at where Danni was slouched on her chair, looking as if she might be about to doze off. She was wearing jeans that looked clean in only the most relative of senses, boots, and a flannel shirt that might have seen an iron at some point in its existence, but not recently. She also looked far too comfortable for someone about to enter into a legally binding commitment.

With a sigh, she stood up and went to sit beside her.

“I’m glad to see that you made an effort,” she said dryly.

Danni looked down at her clothes in surprise. “Didn’t know I was supposed to show up in the big white dress. You should have said something.”

“You could have worn a skirt,” Eleanor said. “Or a trouser suit. Perhaps a twin set.”

“I only know what one of those things is,” said Danni. “And I’ve been at work all morning and I’ll go back to work when this is all done, so be happy that I put on a clean shirt. The other one had sheep poo on it.”

“Right,” Eleanor said faintly. She swallowed. “Are you… Are you sure about this?”

She wasn’t sure if she was asking for Danni or asking for herself.