Oliver had to think hard for a moment. After his harrowing talk with Rosie and the painful suggestions she had made, the interview with the artist seemed hours and hours ago. ‘He did not mince his words. He thought much of her work juvenile and cared not at all for her land- and seascapes.’

‘Oh, poor Livvy. She must be feeling distraught. It’s a good thing she has a child to look forward to.’

‘Hold there, my dear,’ Oliver smiled engagingly. ‘He did however approve of her portraiture. Said it showed a certain fluency and promise and boldness, and some other such language his ilk uses. He plans to stay in Cornwall another week or so, says he’s very taken with the particular light of the county and its spectacular views, and he has kindly said he’ll allow time to give Livvy instruction.’

‘That’s wonderful.’ Kerensa clapped her hands, and Samuel copied her and sang an appropriate nursery rhyme. ‘She must be delighted.’

‘Yes, she is, but disappointed about the other things he said. I think it will work well for her and Timothy as a couple, she won’t be traipsing about the countryside so often now.’

‘She is good at portraying people, the miniature of Luke shows his personality exactly. Is Mr Spears staying on at the Mount?’

‘No. He’s taken a room at Sealey’s Hotel.’

A stillness came upon Oliver. He had not ridden here straightaway after leaving Rosie but had gone to Pengarron Point, the place where he went to think. Was it really possible for him to follow Rosie’s suggestions? Could he dismantle that much pride and allow Kerensa to retain her feelings – the feelings he himself had brought back into focus – for Trenchard? The thought of her having loving relations with Trenchard filled him with horror, disgust and a pain too unbearable to dwell on. If Kerensa was innocent, she would feel something similar if she knew about his affair with Rosie. If she was seeing Trenchard, would she understand that he had needed someone else? Could their marriage survive the unfaithfulness on his part? Unfaithfulness by both of them? He knew that if they were to ever trust each again there must be no more secrets between them. At some point he was going to have to make a confession to Kerensa.

Looking at her now, he knew that, whatever may have happened between her and Clem Trenchard, he couldn’t bear their rift turning into an unbridgeable chasm.

Somehow he got his voice to emerge in a natural tone. ‘Kerensa, I have something to tell you. No, don’t look worried, hear me out, please. Today, I’ve decided to come home for good. I hope that will be agreeable to you. For Livvy’s sake, I thought perhaps, in a day or two, we could invite George Spears here to dine with us.’