Sally sat in Regents Park watching Benedict as he played with Nipper, rolling around the grass in his good trousers and shrieking with suppressed energy. She would spend the best part of the evening sponging his clothes down so all the tell-tale evidence of his supposedly sedate walk would be cleaned away. She didn’t care, she loved him. Only with her could he be a boy, a real little boy who jumped and played. Even Isabel, who loved him dearly, Sally conceded that, tried to make him into a little gentleman. Well, in Sally’s opinion, there was plenty of time for that.

She saw Briony walking towards her with Tommy Lane and signalled with her head towards Benedict.

Briony and Tommy settled themselves on the wrought-iron bench beside Sally and started chatting. To passersby it looked innocent enough, their subject matter would be unheard and their interest in the little boy was cleverly disguised.

‘Hello, Sal. You know Tommy, of course?’

She nodded.

‘How’s me boy?’

‘You can see for yourself, Miss Cavanagh. Healthy as hell, eating like a horse, and more energy than a lightning bolt!’

Briony laughed. This was what she wanted to hear. ‘How’s things at the house?’

Sally looked her straight in the eye. ‘Well, that’s a funny thing, Miss Cavanagh. It’s been strange since the master was attacked.’

Tommy pushed his face towards Sally and said, ‘What do you mean?’

Sally shrugged.

‘Well, lately he’s took to playing with the boy like. Taking him out and that. The master wouldn’t leave the house for weeks, then all of a sudden it’s “let me take you here, let me take you there”.’

‘And how’s the boy responding to it all?’

‘Well, Mr Lane, he loves it. They play chess together, and you want to hear them laughing! It’s like someone’s switched masters in the night like. One day he was a miserable old fucker, the next all sweetness and light. It was strange, I can tell you, and the mistress ain’t happy with the change. She don’t like it one bit!’

Briony nodded, thinking. ‘Well, she wouldn’t, would she?’ She wasn’t sure she liked it herself. But hadn’t she told him to be nice to the boy? Was this his way of doing what she’d said? ‘Benedict’s happy enough, though?’

‘Oh, bugger me, yes! Never seen him so happy. He’s been a little darling. Not that he was ever any trouble before, mind, but now he’s got his old man behind him, it’s put the icing on his cake if you see what I mean.’

Benedict ran and Nipper jumped up, sending him sprawling on to the grass. Briony nearly got out of her seat, thinking he was hurt, when high-pitched laughter floated over to them.