Page 49 of Sunrise over Strawberry Hill Farm

Nico made a note on his checklist. ‘I think we’re about there,’ he told her. ‘So all that’s left is to double-check Tent No 1 for tonight’s guests.’

Flora smiled to herself. Despite her nerves, she had good reason to be thankful for her friends that evening as Katy and Ryan had promised to spend the night in the tent to check everything worked.

‘The kettle’s set up, the bed’s made and I’ve just got to double-check the fairy lights,’ she replied.

‘Definitely the glamping side of camping,’ said Nico with a grin. ‘I remember sleeping outside years ago and it was just me, a tent and a sleeping bag.’

‘That will never do for Katy,’ said Flora, laughing.

Katy’s love-hate relationship with the countryside was well-known to her friends. But if the trial went successfully, then they would be all set for when the campsite officially opened to the public in a fortnight’s time. If the licences came through on time.

‘Why have we asked that particular couple again?’ asked Nico, frowning. ‘Isn’t she the worst person to ask?’

Flora shook her head. ‘On the contrary, she fits the bill perfectly. Because she is the least outdoorsy person I know, she’s our perfect guinea pig.’

There was still much to worry about, but she felt herself relax a little later that evening as she showed Katy and Ryan around the site as if they hadn’t already seen it all.

‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ said Katy, shaking her head in wonder as they stood outside Dodgy Del’s extremely glamorous washing facilities. ‘Have you seen the inside? It’s like a stately home.’

Flora smiled. ‘It’s a bit over the top for the country vibe we were going for but they’re free so they’ll absolutely have to do. And I’ll probably put some bunting outside as well, just to soften it up.’

‘So Dodgy Del finally came through with a winner?’ said Katy, still looking amazed.

‘Well, he was probably due at least one helpful suggestion after so many failures,’ said Ryan.

Flora didn’t mind. She was just grateful that they now had working toilets and showers for their customers.

‘So there’s spare blankets in that box over there,’ she told them as they returned to the tent. ‘And there’s a spare plug for chargers or whatever in the drawer of the table, as well as a list of emergency contacts and numbers for local services.’

‘This looks great,’ said Ryan, beaming. ‘And as we’ve bought our own pizza, we can relax and just chill out.’

Katy was nodding but still looking a little worried. ‘Will there be bugs?’ she asked, glancing nervously at the floor.

‘You’re off the actual ground, remember,’ Flora told her. ‘Thanks to the decking. Then there’s the ground sheet of the tent, plus a fluffy rug as well. And the bed is on a proper divan too.’

‘Okay.’ Katy bit her lip, causing Ryan to laugh and put his arm around her.

‘I’ll be with you, if you get frightened,’ he told her, before leaning forward to whisper something in her ear that made her blush.

Flora was smiling as well, happy to see her friends so in love, but also finding herself wishing that she too could have that special a partnership. She was surprised, not sure where that particular thought had come from and tried to concentrate on her friends instead.

‘Well, if you’re happy that you’ve got everything you need, I’ll leave you to it,’ she told them.

‘Thank you,’ said Katy, stepping forward to give her friend a hug. ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine.’

‘I just hope you enjoy your stay,’ Flora told her. ‘You’ve got my number if you need anything.’

As she walked away, she mentally checked through her list but couldn’t think of anything else that they might require. She glanced up at the sky as she walked back to the farmhouse and was thankful to see that there were no clouds. A clear night would mean a colder one, but hopefully the extra bedding would make them comfortable.

But it did also mean that it would be a beautiful sky to enjoy their pizza on the decking and watch the view.

When she stepped into the kitchen, she realised that she wasn’t the only one that was obviously a bit nervous about their friends’ feedback. Nico was pacing up and down and only stopped when he saw her step over the threshold.

‘Is it all okay?’ he asked, for once his smooth mask of calm and confidence completely at odds with the nerves in his words.

‘It’s fine,’ she told him.

‘Did you show them the switches for the bedside lights?’ he asked.