We made reasonably fast work of lugging the boxes upstairs. I assured Sam that I could assemble the pieces myself, and we then carried the old bed around the side of the cottage out of the way. I felt horribly awkward about the protocol for thanking him properly. Was it rude to offer some money, or worse not to? Fortunately, he graciously dismissed my fumbling mumbles about repaying the gesture with a grin and a wave of his hand.

‘Buy me a pint in the Merry Men sometime.’ He hopped back on his bike. ‘Even better, next time I need a hand moving a tree trunk, I know who to ask.’

I was still staring at his bike disappearing into the distance when a voice startled me out of my stupor.

‘Are you all right, Ollie?’ Joan asked. ‘You look like you need a cold drink.’

I turned to find her right behind me, hands gripping her backpack straps. Her pale face was stark against the midday sunshine, her knobbly legs displaying several scabs and bruises.

‘I’ve got a better idea.’ I smiled, hoping to hide my growing concern. ‘How about lunch instead?’

I nipped upstairs for a much-needed shower while Joan settled herself on her blanket on my third of the lawn. I made a mental note to buy a couple of comfy garden chairs and a table sooner rather than later. The back step was fine to perch on for my morning cup of tea, but it was no good for a lunch designed to fill a hungry child. I made us huge Subway-style sandwiches crammed with cheese, salami and salad, added a bowl of strawberries and thick wodges of carrot cake that I’d picked up in a local bakery. It was twice as much as I’d normally eat, but I’d been working hard that morning, and my urge to feed Joan up was almost primal.

From the way she devoured her food, I guessed my urge was right.

Once Joan had dabbed up every last speck of cake, I stood up, brushing the crumbs from my shorts. ‘Well, I have a bed to build.’

‘Do you need any help?’ Joan asked, hopeful green eyes peeping through her fringe.

‘Are you sure? Can the Fellowship do without you for a couple of hours?’

She jumped to her feet. ‘Well if they can’t, they don’t stand a chance of making it to Mordor!’

‘In that case, your help would be very much appreciated.’ We started walking into the house, before I stopped. ‘What if your mum comes home and finds you missing – won’t she be worried? Had we better leave a note?’

‘No. She’ll just think I’m at the library or in the woods or something.’