‘Simple? Understand that she loves another man, one she professes to have emptied out of her heart long ago?’ This was the last piece of advice he was expecting. ‘You ask too much. God save me, but I wish your brother dead! If I find out he’s been having an affair with Kerensa I’ll kill him, I swear nothing will stop me.’

‘Then it’s no wonder you are the cause of your own misery. Can you not see it? What if they are having an affair? Is gaining retribution on Clem more important than regaining Kerensa? You say you love her more than anything. How do you? Even now, you’re letting your jealousy rule you. Before you found Clem’s love tokens, you couldn’t even bear to think Kerensa might have kept even the slightest affection for him. You can’t demand that much of people, Oliver. We all have the right to our own feelings, indeed we cannot help them. And have you not been unfaithful to Kerensa? You very quickly took me to your bed, without a thought for her or Matthias. You’re eaten up with gall just thinking she might have been untrue, while you went ahead and did the wicked deed moments after she left your presence. You couldn’t help your feelings then, could you? Didn’t even try.

‘If you really want to win her back then use your great intelligence to do it. You must forget your hatred of Clem and forget your jealousy, but first…’ Rosie swallowed, should she go even further? He had been her lover but he was still her lord and master.

He pursed his mouth, eyes set grim, ‘First?’

‘First let your heart grow to the size where it can accommodate Kerensa’s feelings for my brother, even if they have grown too close since he’s been at Vellanoweth. Clem will soon be returning home. Perhaps you should have a word with him, a public word. A clever word.’

Oliver gazed at her, made his eyes widen, sighed and shook his head.

‘I know it asks a lot of you. It’s your decision. Your life. Your happiness. I’m going home to my husband now, he’s worth everything in the world to me, he’s my future. I’ll leave you to think about yours.’

Rosie’s brother and niece were washing their hands at the iron pump in Vellanoweth’s yard. Clem had been holding the head of a cantankerous billy goat while Jessica had given him a purge.

‘That’ll teach the old misery not to break free and drink the starch for my linen.’

Jessica dried her hands and hugged her father. ‘I’ll miss you when you go home, Tas. Sell Greystone’s Farm and come back to the Bay. I hate you being so far away. I’m sure Catherine would like to be back near her brother.’