Slowly Abel led Eileen back to the road and his cart. He lifted her up tenderly and placed her on the seat, all the time talking to her softly, calming her down.

‘He was touching me Abel, look at my arm. Look where he touched me, on my arm...’

Abel looked at the arm and nodded at her. She kept up a conversation with herself in low tones all the way home, rubbing furiously at the arm as if it was covered in filth.

It wasn’t the first time she had wandered off and it was not to be the last.

Briony and Tommy sat on their usual bench. As the weather was warmer they had both begun to bring picnics with them. Today, Tommy had brought some tongue sandwiches and a small stone flask of lemonade. Eating the sandwiches, they put down crumbs of bread for the ducks, laughing at their antics as they fought over the tiny morsels.

‘How are you feeling in yourself, Briony?’

She patted her stomach and smiled. ‘Not too bad. I’ve only a few weeks to go now, and I can’t wait until it’s all over.’

‘Has that woman, that Mrs Dumas, said any more about giving you the house?’

Briony nodded. ‘Oh, yeah, she’s like a nervous wreck waiting for this baby.’

Tommy nodded solemnly.

‘Well, you just make sure you get it all in writing. You’re thirteen now aren’t you?’

‘Yeah, I’m thirteen in a few months, why?’

‘Well, you might have to get it put in trust for you or something. With your mum. Either way, make sure you take any papers they give you to a good brief. I know a bloke who’s well up on all this kind of stuff, I’ll arrange for you to see him.’

Briony screwed up her little face.

‘Mrs Dumas wouldn’t tuck me up. She’s lovely.’

Tommy swallowed the last of his sandwich and threw the crust to the ducks.

‘’Course she’s lovely, she wants your baby. Once it’s born and she’s got her hands on it, you might as well piss in the wind with all the legal jargon they’ll baffle you with. You just listen to me, Briony, I’ve got contacts that could help you. You must look out for number one. If you don’t, no one else will.’

Briony digested this bit of logic and shrugged. She trusted Isabel Dumas with her life, but she didn’t trust Henry. Though he was never mentioned by Isabel, Briony sensed his baleful influence. What Tommy said made sense, and when the time came she would take his advice and see his lawyer friend.

‘Thanks, Tommy, I’ll keep that in mind. Now tell me some more stories about Nellie Deakins’ place. They make me laugh.’

He poured her another glass of cool lemonade and handed it to her.