‘Well, there’s always a first time, and this might be it. It’s no good worrying yet. Now get yourself back home, before you are missed and before those two over the yard hear you. We’ll sort things out, no matter what. I’m not going anywhere and you aren’t, so we will just have to take the consequences.’ Ethan smiled and finally hugged Rosie.

‘You do love me, though, don’t you, Ethan? You will stand by me?’ she said as she turned to make her way back down the ladder.

‘Aye, I’m upset that you even feel you need to ask me that. You should know what my answer is to both. Now get yourself to bed and stop worrying, it’ll be alright.’ Ethan kissed her on the cheek and watched as she climbed down the ladder and made her way quietly out of the stable, leaving him to blow out the candle and look into the dark of the night. It was a darkness that was nearly suffocating him with the news that he was about to be a father.

‘Have any of you seen Ethan? I’ve had to take the two Irishmen down into Settle myself, as there was no sight nor sound of him first thing this morning.’ Danny threw his cap down onto his chair and stood looking at Harriet and his father.

‘He’ll be bloody wandering off somewhere, making the most of the day.’ Archie looked up at his scowling son.

‘He’d better not be – not while I’m paying him. He can just get his backside home, wherever he is,’ said Danny.

‘I haven’t seen him at all this morning. Give Rosie a shout – she might have finished, she’s upstairs making the beds.’ Harriet raised her head from concentrating on kneading the bread, and wiped her hair with the back of her hand as she looked at her annoyed husband.

‘If anyone knows where he is, Rosie will. They are, I think, still as thick as thieves, regardless of his father giving Ethan a hiding earlier on in the year. Although, saying that, I haven’t seen him loitering about her of late. I suppose we should be thankful for that, and at least she’s not with him this time.’ Danny walked down the passageway and stood at the bottom of the stairs and yelled up to Rosie in the bedrooms above. ‘Rosie, have you seen Ethan today? He’s not about, and he was supposed to do a job for me this morning.’