‘Yes, she has,’ said Dame Margaret, also appearing suddenly. ‘Where have your boys been all day?’

Overcoming her hysteria, Cecily explained. She had been summoned to the Hall that morning by Joan. They had been straining curds, pressing cheeses, saving whey all day. She had left her three boys – the eldest was eight so he was responsible enough to look after the others – at home. There was a pile of washed fleeces they had to sort out – mostly goat’s hair, all the long hairs to be kept straight …

Sir Hugh broke in, realizing she was going off the point. ‘Yes, yes, you left your boys at home all day?’

‘But, sir, I left them some bread, and they had lots of work to do, and the logs were only just alight, warm embers, nothing dangerous, and I’ve always told them never to touch the fire and to sweep up bits of straw that might blow into it. Now if I’d have had a girl or two they’d have looked after it, but boys … ’ Her voice rose again into incoherence and hysteria.

Sir Hugh turned aside. ‘Get the three boys here,’ he said. The three younger Hodge boys, Harry, the eight-year-old, Edwin about six, and four-year-old Hoddy had been standing together fearfully all this while, watching the destruction of their home.

Sir Hugh addressed Harry. ‘How did the fire start?’

‘Don’t know – sir.’ Harry was terrified and furtive.

‘You were in the cottage when it started. Joyce says she saw you all run out shouting, and flames in the thatch, and she ran and told me, and I got Tom to ring the bell. How did it start?’

‘Don’t know, sir,’ said Harry, his knees visibly shaking.

‘Edwin, you were there, weren’t you?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Edwin’s normal shout was now greatly reduced in volume.

‘How did it start?’

‘Don’t know.’

‘What were you doing?’

‘Sorting wool,’ said Harry.

‘All day? All three of you?’

‘Er – yes, sir.’

‘Did you touch the fire?’

‘No.’

‘So how did it start?’

‘Don’t know.’

Marion, overhearing this inquisition, knew that Sir Hugh was frightening the already fearful children and that he would get nothing intelligible from them. As she was thinking this, Dame Margaret pushed forward and brushed Sir Hugh aside in a manner that astounded the villagers. She sat down on the grass and pulled Hoddy to her. She smiled at Hoddy.

‘You’ve been working all day indoors, have you?’ she asked him in a conversational tone.

‘Yeth,’ said Hoddy.

‘You and your brothers?’

‘Yeth.’

‘What were you doing?’

Hoddy looked at Harry for advice and was given a gesture. ‘Thorting wool,’ he said, still looking at Harry.

‘Sorting wool all day?’

‘We had our bread too.’

‘It’s dull sorting wool all day, isn’t it?’ said Dame Margaret. Sir Hugh and all the villages were standing close and listening to this enquiry. Hoddy could not answer this, but Dame Margaret went on, ‘It’s more exciting to make the fire blaze, isn’t it?’