He stands, giving Gwen and Jack their cue to leave. Moving out from behind his desk, he escorts them to the door. Gwen thanks him for his reassurances and his time, before setting off down the corridor, eager to be gone. Jack offers him his hand, then gauchely expresses his own gratitude as he runs the rim of his cap through his fingers.

Mr Courtney draws himself up. He is not a statuesque figure by any means, but he has the deportment of an officer and Jack responds accordingly.

‘I must say, Mr Ellison, I am not sure I could do what you have done.’

‘Tom is my son, Mr Courtney.’

‘Of course. Of course. And he is very lucky to have you.’

Jack lowers his head and attempts to leave.

‘Mr Ellison.’ Mr Courtney pauses as Jack turns back. ‘You ought to be aware, should the situation change … the purpose of blood tests in cases such as these is not to prove paternity. I’m afraid the purpose of these tests is to disprove it. Beyond all question.’

Chapter Fifty

Gwen is reattaching the potato spinner to the Fordson, ready to lift the second field of potatoes, when Ted comes walking up the yard. She checks the chain is secure and rubs her nose on the back of her hand as he raises his in greeting. He absently ruffles Kip’s fur as the dog bounds over to him.

‘Morning, Gwen.’ He takes off his grubby tweed cap; its band has crimped his weathered forehead.

‘Morning, Ted.’

‘Lifting potatoes again?’

‘Yes, I’m hoping to get them all up by the end of the day.’

‘Good job if you can, the weather’s turning. Hard frost tonight, they reckon.’

‘Yes, so I hear.’

He studies the dreary sky as a rain-bloated nimbus drifts above them. ‘I uh … I heard Nora’s gone.’

‘That’s right.’

‘Trouble?’

Gwen shrugs lightly. ‘Well, she’s not really needed anymore.’ ‘Not now Jack’s back, I suppose.’ He darts her a loaded look which she refuses to entertain. ‘She’s not gone far,’ he says, catching her curiosity, as he clearly intended to. ‘She’s shacked up with Dick Withers.’

Gwen snorts. One of Nora’s younger conquests, a farm hand from down the valley with a tied cottage. ‘I never doubted she’d land on her feet.’

‘She was in the pub last night.’

The ironic smile Gwen is sporting quickly fades. Ted nods, responding to the change in her demeanour. ‘You’d best be careful, Gwen,’ his voice drops, ‘she’s not said anything outright, but … well, folks were asking what had happened.’

‘And?’

‘Let’s just say she alluded to there being more to the set-up here than meets the eye.’

Gwen exhales sharply and braces herself on the wheel arch of the Fordson. ‘I see.’

‘I just thought you should know. She might set people talking.’