He withdrew a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her and when she saw the amount written on it her face paled, although she otherwise remained calm.

‘You may go now,’ she said dismissively, drawing herself up to her full height. ‘And I shall bring the money to you later this afternoon.’

‘Much obliged, ma’am.’ He gave a little bow and scurried from the room like a frightened rabbit as Dorcas hurried away to order the carriage to be brought round to the front of the house for her.

An hour later she swept into the bank in Nuneaton in a beautiful dark-blue velvet two-piece costume with a matching hat trimmed with white feathers, and demanded to see the bank manager immediately.

Within minutes he had ushered her into his office and, after shaking her hand, he offered her a seat.

‘I am so glad you’ve come, Mrs Winter,’ he began. ‘I asked your husband to call in some weeks ago.’

‘Really? And why would you do that?’

‘To discuss his, er . . . situation.’

‘What situation?’

He swallowed, making his Adam’s apple bob up and down in his throat, before saying cautiously, ‘About the bank loan he took out some time ago to keep his business afloat. He hasn’t made any of the repayments. And so it is with deep regret that I have to inform you we now have no other option but to foreclose on the loan.’

Dorcas gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. ‘B-but there must be some mistake,’ she croaked.

He shook his head and took a file from his desk drawer. Opening it, he circled a large number before pushing the paper towards her. ‘This is the amount outstanding.’

Her eyes popped as she stared at the staggering amount on the paper, then on legs that had suddenly turned to jelly, she rose, telling him, ‘I’m sure there must be some way we can settle this matter, Mr Davidson. I shall go and see our solicitor immediately. Good day to you, sir.’ She took the folder containing the unpaid bills and, cheeks burning with humiliation, sailed from the room with what dignity she could muster.

One thing was for sure, Gerald was going to have some explaining to do when she got her hands on him, but first she would seek their solicitor’s advice.

The Precious Stones series

The Precious Stones series

If you enjoyed A Simple Wish, you’ll love these other titles in Rosie Goodwin’s Precious Stones series

Read on for more . . .

The Winter Promise

1850.