‘Ethan, what’s wrong? Why have you come out here? You know full well that you’ve done all there is to do for today.’ Rosie strode across the farmyard. Her skirts billowed in the wind that had suddenly sprung up, making the last of the autumn leaves cascade around her, and her hair lash her face.

Ethan turned and looked at her. ‘I’m not good enough for you, Rosie. Go and find somebody else – somebody with more brass, somebody with land and that’s been brought up the same way as you. I’ve come from nowt, and my father’s right: I shouldn’t even be setting eyes on you, let alone touching you.’

‘Why are you saying this now? What’s changed from an hour ago, when we were going to look at the cottage in the village and were making plans for our life together?’ Rosie stood in front of him and held back the tears.

‘I’ve realized how little I have to give you, that’s what’s changed. I’ve nothing, and never will have, and you deserve better. I could never buy you fancy clothes and bags, and go with you to society balls and dances. They would all look at me and whisper behind my back, “He’s the gyppo that the Atkinsons let court their daughter.” I can hear it now. You deserve better.’

‘Well, let them talk, I don’t care. I want only you, and I’m not bothered about fancy clothes and snobby social balls. We’ll go to the local dance down in the village hall – everyone goes to that, and nobody stands on ceremony there. As long as I have you, I don’t care.’ Rosie put her arms around him and hugged him close to her. ‘I love you, Ethan Haygarth, and only you, so stop being so bloody proud, and go and see your father tomorrow. He’ll have to take it in his stride, if my father tells him that he must.’

Rosie looked up at Ethan, whose black hair was blowing in the wind and whose eyes were dark and as wild as the weather.

‘We don’t need anything or anybody, if we have one another.’ Rosie took his face in her hands and kissed him. ‘My wild rover: that’s what you are and always will be, and that’s why I love you.’

‘So, you’ve finally decided to show your face. Do you know how much worry you’ve put your mother through? I suppose you’ve been trailing around looking for your grandfather again. When I told you to bloody well forget about him.’ Jethro scowled at his son and spat out a mouthful of saliva as he watched Ethan drive up to the stables and stop next to him, with Danny beside him on the buckboard.