His expression tightened. ‘May I just point out that all you had to do was say no if my advances were so abhorrent to you and I would have stopped,’ he said haughtily.

Amber snorted as her eyes flashed hatred. ‘Oh yes, of course I could have,’ she snarled sarcastically. ‘And you in a position to turn my whole family out of work! And anyway, why would I? You told me you loved me and that one day we would be together for always. And fool that I was I believed every word that you said.’

He looked as if he had been slapped but the conversation was stopped abruptly when Mrs Carter entered the room again after hearing their raised voices.

‘Is everything all right, dear?’ She glanced anxiously between the two of them and suddenly Amber’s shoulder’s sagged as she turned towards the window to hide the tears that had sprung to her eyes.

‘Yes, Mrs Carter, everything is fine. I believe that Mr Greenwood was just about to leave.’

Barnaby rose from his seat and he too was calm now as he said quietly, ‘Please allow me to stay a little longer. I want to help.’

‘How can you? What’s done is done.’ Amber’s voice held a wealth of sadness and she didn’t care if Mrs Carter knew who he really was any more. Only Nancy back at Greenacres knew who the father of her child was, but she trusted her uncle’s housekeeper to keep her secret.

‘I accept that,’ he said humbly. ‘But at least let me make things a little easier for you. I ask again what you intend to do with the child once it is born.’

‘I intend to deliver it to the poorhouse. At least it will be cared for there,’ she said dully. ‘There can be no question o’ me keepin’ it, can there? We’d both suffer. I’d be known as a fallen woman an’ the bairn would always be known as an illegitimate bastard an’ it don’t deserve that. Poor soul didn’t ask to be born, did it?’

Barnaby stood there looking thoughtful before saying, ‘Then let me be responsible for it. It is my child too, after all. I can arrange for it to go to a loving family and be fostered. Surely that will be better than being left to the mercy of the poorhouse. Everyone knows that many children left there rarely reach their first birthday because of lack of proper care.’

Mrs Carter intervened then when she addressed Amber to say, ‘It does sound like the best solution for the child, Amber. Won’t you consider it?’

Amber shrugged and remained silent before asking, ‘And how would we do that?’