She had left two mugs dangling off a stalwart branch on the tree beside where he sat and Lily lifted one away, passing it to him before she reached for the thermos of tea resting against the tree's trunk.

"I have a bet with myself," she began, carefully filling his mug with tea before she turned to fetch the remaining one and do the same for herself. "It's a bet against who of the two of us will read every book in the cottage the most amount of times."