‘That’s ridiculous,’ I said.

She gave me a withering look. We managed a compromise: she would walk me to the end of the track. I waited for her in the front garden.

The Eder house had a stunning view of the village and the valley. The low sun spread a slow fire through forest and street alike. Fort Seeben, a place that seemed to haunt my night-brother’s thoughts, sparkled inexplicably. It was beautiful but I shivered looking at it.

‘Hello.’

I glanced down to see a well-dressed young boy. He too was gazing out at the valley. The Eder boy, I knew, though we had never been properly introduced.

‘Hello. I’m Alexsander.’

‘Patrik,’ he said. He held out his hand. Such an adult gesture it took me a moment to remember I was to take it.

‘You’re very lucky to live here, Patrik,’ I said, immediately aware of how condescending that sounded.

‘They won’t let me go over there.’

‘Where?’

‘Fort Seeben,’ he said. ‘My night-brother and I would very much like to know why it appears different to the surrounding forest. We have our theories, of course.’

‘Of course,’ I said.

‘And we keep a record of our findings,’ he said, tapping one of his pockets.

I was no expert when it came to children, but they were often a curious and wide-eyed audience when I would practise in the parks of Esteberg. This was a less innocent, more calculating curiosity.

‘My night-brother likes his notebooks too,’ I said. ‘But I never understand a word he writes.’

‘The fort is a matter of refraction, I bel—’

‘Come now, Patrik, stop bothering Mr Morden,’ Rebecca said. She put her arm around the boy, but he squirmed away from her embrace.

‘No bother,’ I said. ‘Though I fear I was in danger of learning something.’

‘Mr Morden is a musician. It’s that wonderful?’

‘Hmm,’ Patrik said. ‘The trees must have something on them, some sort of coating that the army—’

‘Patrik, that’s enough.’

I was taken aback by the firmness of her tone. This obviously wasn’t the first time Fort Seeben had been a source of contention.

‘Where is your sister?’ Rebecca said.

‘Reading somewhere,’ he said, waving back at the house. ‘She reads Romances,’ he told me, saying it such a manner to make his disdain clear.

‘Go find your sister and then get ready for bed. The sun has almost set.’

‘What can one learn from Romances?’

‘Patrik! Bed!’

I smiled at the retreating boy. ‘I imagine I could learn much from that little boy.’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘He misses little.’

‘Charming,’ I said, offering my arm. Rebecca strode off down the track without waiting for me. Had I done something to offend her? Or not done something she had expected? The bath was far from how I had imagined the first time she was to see me naked, but she had been so insistent. As I took in the many windows of the Eder house, I realised all our previous encounters had been in town, safely away from her home. This was different – she held responsibilities here, she was a mother of sorts. Such a place had no room for a flirtation with a wandering musician from the north.