‘You think I don’t know that?’ Anna snapped.

‘Then you should leave him.’

‘You didn’t leave your husband.’

‘I didn’t have to, in the end. An artillery shell at the Somme did for him before he did for me. Good riddance, too.’ Her mouth curled. ‘Pity you weren’t so lucky.’

Anna turned on her. ‘Edward wasn’t always like – he is now,’ she protested. ‘He used to be so kind, so loving—’

Then she saw the look of pity in Nellie’s eyes and remembered that it had all been a lie. Nellie was silent for a moment. Then she said, ‘there was a fire here, wasn’t there? You nearly died, didn’t you? You and your family.’

Straight away Anna felt the searing heat on her skin, her eyes stinging, the thick smoke in her lungs, making it hard for her to breathe. Even now, four years later, just thinking about it was enough to take her back to that terrible night.

‘How do you know about that?’

‘Eddie told me. He knows all about it.’

‘Edward was in France.’

‘He still knows all about it. He says the Franklin boys started it.’

‘The Franklin boys?’ Anna stared at her.

Tom’s brothers.

‘He’s never said anything to me about it.’

‘Well, no. He wouldn’t, would he?’

Anna stared at Nellie, itching to slap the smug expression off her face. She looked almost pleased with herself, as if she enjoyed knowing something Anna didn’t.

She turned away. ‘If Edward knew the Franklin boys were behind that fire he would have gone to the police. He hates the Franklins. There’d be no reason for him to try to cover for them.’

‘That’s what you think.’

Anna swung back to face her. ‘If you’ve got something to say, then you should come out with it. I’m sick and tired of your stupid games!’

‘Ain’t you worked it out for yourself? And you think you’re so clever.’ Nellie sent her a pitying look. ‘It was your precious Edward that put them up to it, you silly mare.’

The floor seemed to give way beneath her feet and Anna had to clutch the edge of the kitchen table for support.

‘That’s not true,’ she whispered.

‘He told me himself.’

Nellie was still speaking, but her words were lost in a rush of sound that filled Anna’s brain.

Just when she didn’t think her life could unravel any further, suddenly there were yet more loose threads she knew nothing about.

But still her mind rejected it. Not Edward. Not her Edward. He might not love her, but surely he would never wish her harm.

‘He hates the Franklins,’ she whispered. ‘He hasn’t spoken to them in years.’

‘I’ve seen him drinking with them at the Fallen Angel.’

‘No.’

‘Wouldn’t be the first time he’s lied to you, would it? I know there was a falling out when they were kids, but Eddie ain’t daft. He knows when people can be useful to him, and he don’t mind taking advantage to get what he wants. I mean, look at you.’