Olivia handed the letter to her mother so that she could read it. ‘Well, I don’t believe you, and isn’t it convenient that you’ve no way of proving he wrote it?’ She folded her arms across her chest. ‘Who did you see? Was his father there?’ She gave a short, mirthless laugh. ‘You wouldn’t dare strike his father, you’re too much of a coward for that.’

‘Liv!’ Catherine cried out in protest, but Olivia didn’t care for the consequences of her words. As far as she was concerned, it was high time her father heard the truth.

William shrugged his indifference. ‘Whether you want to believe me or not, there wasn’t anyone there to strike.’ He shot her a withering glance. ‘You might think badly of me, but at least I don’t run away from my responsibilities. Your boyfriend didn’t even stick around to see if the rumours were true.’

Olivia was shaking her head. ‘It doesn’t make any difference. You can sack him and evict him, but I know Ted, and he’ll come for me.’

William Campbell scoffed in disbelief. ‘You idiotic child! You really think that?’ He was shaking his head when a thought appeared to enter his mind. ‘I can’t prove he wrote this letter, but I can take you to the house. That way you can see for yourself.’

Olivia threw him a withering glance. ‘Oh, I believe he doesn’t live there any more, because you’ll have turfed him out, but …’ She got no further.

‘You could prove his father wrote the letter,’ her mother intervened.

‘How?’ said Olivia, hope rising in her chest that she would be able to prove her father to be a liar.

Catherine looked up at her husband, who was staring at her intently. ‘His tenancy agreement. They all have to sign one.’

Olivia began to smile, certain that her father would splutter some excuse for why he couldn’t produce the document, but was shocked when her father nodded.

‘He certainly did.’ He eyed Olivia levelly. ‘Care to join me?’

Olivia looked at her mother, who nodded her encouragement as she handed the letter back. ‘You can’t accuse your father of lying then not give him a chance to prove otherwise, and I don’t think you’ll believe him unless you see for yourself.’

Olivia followed her father out of the room, down the stairs and into his office. She watched as he sifted through the documents in his filing cabinet. A small smile began to curve her lips. Of course! He had brought her down here as though willing to prove his innocence, only to say at the last minute that he couldn’t find it. She tutted inwardly. Her father was meticulous when it came to the agreements, everything got filed. She leaned against the doorframe. If she was to wait whilst her father pretended to search for the document she could be here for some time. Mr Campbell closed the drawer he had been searching through and moved on to the next.