‘That may be so, but on the other hand the girl might have been carried off against her will. Other people believe she has been murdered and thrown off a cliff or down a disused mine shaft.’

Rosie gave a shiver. ‘Poor maid.’ She tapped the back of her heels against the tree trunk, releasing the strong damp smell of its moss covering.

‘Is all well at home, Rosie?’ Oliver asked amiably. The harsh lines of his face had softened now and he watched her moving feet.

‘Yes, sir, the twins are as boisterous as ever. They were some put out at missing seeing you the day you were at the farm and Jessica was ever so sorry for dropping the cat on your lap.’

‘Ah, Jessica, your angelic-looking niece. A lovely child.’ He smiled at the recollection. ‘No harm was done over the episode with the cat and I suspect it was me scurrying out just like a scalded cat myself that your nephews were most sorry at missing.’

Rosie laughed gaily but she was surprised this man of noble birth, wealth and power could laugh at himself. She did not ask how things were at the manor. She was not unaware of the tense and gloomy atmosphere there and anyway it would be improper.

‘Clem and Alice are lucky to have three such beautiful and healthy children,’ she said, picking up a handful of dead oak leaves and crunching them.

Oliver drew deeply on his pipe. ‘What kind of a father is your brother?’

Rosie raised her neat eyebrows. She had not expected this piece of curiosity. She was on the defensive at once.

‘Clem’s a wonderful father. It may surprise you to know he’s doted on the twins from the day Alice brought them home from the manor where they were born and he loves Jessica just as much as Alice does. Jessica was a planned baby, not just the natural happening of they being man and wife.’ She grew red at the reference to Jessica’s conception but didn’t miss the contempt in the short laugh Oliver gave. In retaliation she said, ‘Strange isn’t it? You and Clem both having three children, two boys and a girl.’

‘No,’ Oliver said bluntly, surveying the girl with a cold eye. ‘I intend to have a much larger family.’

Rosie was sorry the conversation had taken this turn. She knew she ought to go but couldn’t bring herself to leave this man’s disturbing company.

Oliver remarked, as if he was testing water, ‘It hasn’t escaped my attention that Matthias Renfree has been calling more often at Trecath-en Farm.’

She grasped the opportunity to speak of someone else. ‘Well, he’s always been around a lot. He’s a very good friend of Clem’s of course and he helps Kenver to write his poetry down. He’s godfather to Philip and David and takes a lot of interest in them.’