‘Afnoon to ’ee, Rev’run’. We’m just come from the manor ’ouse. Bin askin’ if anybody’s seen my maid or ’as any idea where she might ’ave gone off to.’

The Reverend looked down sorrowfully on Carn Bawden. ‘I’m saddened to hear that Heather has not yet been found. Was anyone there able to be of any assistance to you, Carn?’

‘Naw,’ Carn Bawden replied, wiping droplets of rain from his eyelashes. ‘I d’reckon we’m seen the last of ’er. I b’lieve she’s gone off fer good. I’m just out makin’ one last round askin’ after ’er fer the missus’ sake. Jack, the groom up ’ere, ’e wus friendly with Heather like. I wus won’drin’ if she told un any of ’er wild fancies. Said ’e reckoned ’e wus with ’er on the night she disappeared. The boy’s proper worried about it, ’e wus rather fond of ’er, but anyway I assured un I don’t b’lieve ’e ’ad anythin’ to do with ’er goin’ missin’. Young Jack wouldn’t ’urt nobody. No, Rev’run’, I’m afraid ’e ’ad more t’fear from ’er than she did ’im.’

‘If there’s anything I can do for you, Carn, be sure to let me know,’ the parson told the weary miner.

‘Thank ’ee, Rev’run’, but I’d reckon it ’ad t’appen one day. Well, good day to ’ee, we went be keepin’ ’ee ’ere in the rain.’

A young girl bored with a life of hardship going off to seek excitement elsewhere was no new occurrence. For Heather Bawden to do so was not surprising, the Reverend Ivey thought, shaking his head at life’s foibles.

He became almost exuberant a few minutes later when Michael, who came to stable his pony, told him that Oliver had suddenly left the manor after the midday meal and wasn’t expected back that day. Polly showed him into Kerensa’s sitting room where she was reading a fairy tale to Olivia, Kane and a very fidgety Luke. It was a simply written tale of ‘Jack the Giant Killer’; her reading was much improved and she read it with confidence.

‘It seems I have come at an opportune moment, Kerensa,’ the Reverend said, beaming a smile at each child as Kerensa paused. ‘I have not heard the tale in many a year. Do carry on, I will listen with the children.’

Kane and Olivia, sitting cuddled together on a sofa, parted and moved to make room for him to sit between them and then leaned against his arms, holding his hands. Luke, not to be outdone, left Bob where they had been rolling on the floor and clambered on to the Reverend’s lap and began twisting his clerical collar. Kerensa looked doubtful at the arrangement and mouthed the words, ‘Are you all right like that?’ The Reverend nodded happily and she carried on with the tale.