Then suddenly from the other side of the room came a deep baritone voice answered her line for line:

Sarah felt a rush of adrenaline course through her system.

The hidden voice repeated the words:

Recovering swiftly from the shock of being part of an impromptu duet, Sarah continued:

All around her, other voices were joined in now, quietly harmonising with hers. Their voices echoed around the long room together as they drifted through the final words of the song.

The applause was deafening and platters of cheeses and bread were placed before them together with glasses of a delicate scented clear wine.

"May the spirit of the elder flower be with you always!" Intoned the MC happily.

"And to seal your union with our community, you may select any unknown man here to provide you with your 'long kiss of welcome'."

Still on a high from singing the song, she shot a quick look at Peter. Was this the start of what they had talked about. Peter was busy swigging the wine and saluting everybody in sight. It was clear he had no objection. Sarah was sure David wouldn't have been so sanguine.

A man stepped forward into the circle. From his voice Sarah knew it was the singer who had joined in her drinking song. He was young with fair hair, slim build wearing flowered shirt and jeans.

"I claim the right to give the 'long kiss of welcome' ", he pronounced gravely but with a smile playing about his eyes.

"Then let the kiss begin", responded the MC. "Go on Ralph - get on with it, we've got lots more singing and playing to do."

Drawing her swiftly into the circle with a speed that allowed no argument, cupping her head between his hands, Ralph locked his lips to hers in a deep kiss that left her breathless. His tongue played briefly along her lower lip but she kept her mouth defiantly closed, remembering determinedly that despite everything she was still a married mum.

The young man then broke away and started a sea shanty drinking song about a love he'd had to leave behind on the shores of some far off sea. Each time he came to a reference to his true love, he happily blew her a kiss. Peter's only reaction was to pass her a glass of the clear wine. "Beats a cocktail party in Surbiton", he said. "I think I'm going to get to like it here."

Then they were clearing the floor for a barn dance. Everybody helped and an improvised stage was set up at the end of the room for a band that seemed to include everybody that wasn't dancing.

Soon the air was full of jigs and polkas and bodies were spinning and whirling all around. But very soon, Sarah realised that her head was spinning even faster - the wine must have been stronger than she'd thought. Peter was at the other end of the room dosy doing with a buxom teenager who was young enough to have been his daughter if not perhaps even his granddaughter. Sarah looked desperately around for help.

Just as she felt her legs giving way, a strong arm placed itself around her waist and caught her.

"Come on m'dear, you'll be all right. Let me get you to the side." It was Ralph the baritone.