He unlocked the door and Amber followed him down some steep stone steps that had been worn in the centre from the numerous feet that had trampled up and down them over so many years. It felt damp, certainly not the sort of place for an invalid to be, she thought, but she was afraid that the sergeant might change his mind about allowing her to see Barnaby so she held her peace until they reached the bottom where she saw three cells all in a row along one wall.

The doctor was bending over a low bed in one of them, but at the sound of their footsteps, he straightened and Amber got her first glimse of Barnaby. His face was flushed and wet with sweat but as she involuntarily called his name, he turned his head and gave her a weak smile.

The cell was unlocked, and rushing into it, Amber dropped to her knees and took his hot hand in hers, whispering, ‘How is he, Doctor?’

‘Not good I’m afraid.’ Turning to the sergeant, he asked, ‘Could I have a word please . . . outside?’

The two men left to stand in the far corner where they couldn’t be overheard as Amber turned her full attention back to Barnaby whose grip on her hand was surprisingly strong.

‘Ah . . . your face,’ he groaned as he tried to focus his eyes on the livid wound on her cheek.

‘It’s nothing, it’ll soon heal.’ Without thinking she raised his hand to her lips and gently kissed his fingers and to her surprise she saw tears on Barnaby’s cheeks.

‘I-I’m so sorry for everything I’ve put you through,’ he said in a trembling voice.

She shook her head. ‘This wasn’t your fault,’ she insisted. ‘If you hadn’t come along when you did . . . Well, I dread to think what he might have done.’

‘A-and Charlotte . . . is she all right?’

‘Absolutely fine,’ she assured him but her temper was rising by the minute. Barnaby was clearly very ill, far too ill to be locked up in a police cell and she determined to say as much when the doctor and sergeant came back. Luckily, though, she didn’t have to.

‘Mrs Greenwood.’

‘Yes.’ Her head snapped round at the sound of the sergeant’s voice.

‘It’s highly unorthodox but the doctor has recommended that your husband should go home to be nursed. The magistrates are not due into town until early next month and hopefully he’ll be on the mend by that time. But I should warn you, he will have to return to jail and go before them. I imagine he will be sent to court to stand trial and be sentenced at that point.’

That was all in the future but for now Amber was just grateful that Barnaby could come home where she could make sure that he received proper care.