In the kitchen, peeling potatoes to go with the lamb chops she had placed in the Aga, Irena snapped her head around when she heard a car pulling onto the drive. Afraid that it might be the police, she dropped the peeler and rushed into the hall to look through the spyhole in the front door. Relieved to see Evan climbing out of a vehicle that was parked behind Frank’s car, she opened the door.

‘Well, this is a nice surprise.’ Evan gave a lopsided grin. ‘The old man told me you’d gone.’

‘I forget something and come back,’ she lied, stepping aside to let him in before quickly closing the door. ‘Your father is in bath. I will tell him you are here.’

‘You couldn’t make us a cuppa first, could you?’ Evan asked as he slipped his jacket off. ‘I’m absolutely freezing. Here, feel . . .’ He reached out and touched her face with the back of his hand.

‘Oh, is like ice,’ she exclaimed.

‘You’d best get the kettle on to warm me up, then, eh?’

Irena nodded and walked back into the kitchen. Following, Evan took a seat at the table and watched as she switched the kettle on.

‘You’re looking better than last time I saw you,’ he said. ‘Those bruises are fading pretty fast.’

‘Yes, is healing well,’ she agreed. ‘Your father has take good care of me.’

‘Oh, I bet he has,’ Evan replied slyly.

Frank woke with a start. The bath water was cold, and the sky outside the window was dark, so he figured he must have been sleeping for a while. Shivering, he sat up and leaned forward to pull the plug out, but froze at the sound of muffled voices coming from down below. Afraid that Irena’s abuser had found out she was here and forced his way in while he’d been sleeping, he leapt out of the bath and quickly pulled his clothes on before rushing to his bedroom to get the cricket bat.

His heart was thudding as he crept down the stairs, and he took a deep breath to calm himself before barging through the kitchen door.

Evan and Irena were sitting at the table, and they both jumped in alarm.

‘Christ, Dad, what are you playing at?’ Evan squawked, wiping spilled tea off the front of his T-shirt. ‘You scared me to bleedin’ death!’

‘What are you doing here again?’ Frank demanded. ‘And why did you answer the door?’ he added to Irena. ‘It could have been anyone.’

‘I see him from window, and he is your son so I think is OK,’ she said.

‘All right, Pops, chill out.’ Evan frowned.

‘Sorry,’ Frank apologized, placing the bat in the corner. ‘I wasn’t expecting anyone, that’s all.’

‘Is something going on here that I need to know about?’ Evan asked, suspicion in his eyes.

‘No.’ Frank shook his head and raked his fingers through his damp hair.