She left it to him to proceed and James, who had had enough of being bludgeoned for the evening, decided to get straight to the point.

‘Have you made up your mind whether to accept or reject my marriage proposal, Ameline?’

Ameline walked to the window, twisting a ring on her finger, then paced back to stand in front of the fireplace. James’s eyes shone hopefully as he followed her path but he had missed her agitated hands.

‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘I beg your forgiveness, James, I need a little more time… to be sure of something…’

‘How much more time? Days, weeks, months?’ James could not hide his despair.

‘Only a few more days.’ Ameline smiled to lift his spirits. ‘I am to leave the manor shortly. When I arrive home I promise I will have your answer.’

A little later the new year of 1762 was seen in with little ceremony. Only Sir Martin and Hezekiah Solomon enjoyed the celebration and felt that the year held any promise. Kerensa and Ameline cringed at Oliver’s thinly disguised fury when James declined to play cards. Kerensa had never learnt to play and Ameline was poor at it, which meant there was no fourth player to make up the table. James was wretched and greatly desired to return to Marazion where he was to stay the night with Sir Martin. But the elderly baronet was just warming up to the occasion and after yet more food and brandy he entertained them with accounts of all the New Year parties he could remember. Ameline excused herself an hour later and scurried away, escaping the ordeal at last. Kerensa would have done the same but she felt sorry for James in his misery and she stayed down to chat quietly with him. She knew that if only Ameline had accepted him, nothing else Oliver could have thrown at him tonight would have mattered.

When Sir Martin’s carriage finally left with James and Hezekiah who wanted to catch the morning tide, Kerensa hoped that Oliver would stay downstairs for a nightcap and she could feign sleep when he came to bed. But he climbed the stairs with her, step by step, and stayed at her side as she made a last check on the sleeping children. He did not bother to use his dressing room; pulling off his clothes and shoes he threw them in a careless heap on the bedroom floor. Kerensa joined him in bed, keeping to the edge while wearily brushing her hair.

‘Have you decided how Luke is to be punished?’ she asked cautiously.

Oliver looked at her in surprise. ‘I took it for granted you would have seen to that when you arrived home after the wedding.’