Kerensa sank back into her pensive mood and gave them no further thought. But Jack was uneasy. He looked anxiously behind. The three men had stopped and were looking at him and Kerensa with their heads close together as they stood in a huddle.

Kerensa and Jack covered another three hundred yards at walking pace, then again Jack suggested they ought to return home. This time Kerensa passively agreed but not before reining in to peer over the growing wheat, oats and barley of Trecath-en’s fields. A few more minutes passed by before they finally began to retrace their steps. Jack was relieved to see no sign of the travellers but he was still uneasy.

When they reached the ground where they had passed the three men Jack brought Meryn to a halt and lifted himself up in the saddle to look intently all around.

‘What is it, Jack?’ Kerensa asked. ‘Is something wrong?’

‘I dunno, m’lady. I just have this feeling we’re being watched.’

Kerensa swivelled in her saddle as much as her bulging middle allowed. ‘I can’t see or hear anything unusual.’ The nagging ache in her back that had started in the early hours of the morning had steadily increased with the length of the ride. She knew it had been foolish to go riding now she was so big; it was her own fault she was uncomfortable. She longed to rub at the root of the pain but did not want an ‘I-told-you-so’ look from Jack. Instead she smiled brightly to humour him. ‘Come on, let’s get home, I’m ravenously hungry arid I expect you are too, eh, Jack?’

There was no answer.

‘Jack?’

‘I can hear voices,’ he said at last. ‘Could be they men we passed just now. I didn’t like the look of ’em.’

‘Do you think they may wish us harm?’ Kerensa was anxious herself now.

Jack slid off his pony, his eyes searching keenly for anything that would serve as a weapon.

‘What are you doing? Shall I get down too, Jack?’

‘You stay put, m’lady. ’Tis probably nothing to worry about, could be just one of the farmers, but if they others show up again I want you to ride for the manor as fast as you can.’

They listened fearfully for voices and watched for movement. Jack broke off a thick stem from a hazel bush, picked up a large stone in his other hand and took up a defensive stance.

‘What are you going to do, Jack? You must come with me.’

‘No, if there’s any trouble I’ll hold ’em off while you get away. I’ll catch you up.’

A short time later Jack said cautiously, ‘’Tis all quiet, I d’reckon we can go on now.’

‘I’m sorry, Jack.’ Kerensa said humbly.

‘What for, m’lady?’ he asked, looking at her in genuine surprise.