Kerensa rubbed her dirtied hands over her bulge, painless and quiet for the moment. ‘I’m afraid it’s coming quicker than I first thought but not for quite a while, I hope. It’s Jack I’m worried about.’

‘Well, you won’t help Jack by sitting in the doorway,’ Kenver said. ‘Let me help you inside. Then we’ll just have to sit and wait it out together and pray Jack will be all right.’ Although his legs were useless Kenver’s arms had great strength and effortlessly he put them under Kerensa’s armpits and eased her up gently to sit on his lap. She held on thankfully to him as he wheeled his strange moving chair to a window in the corner of the room then helped her into a firm comfortable chair that was piled with colourful patchwork cushions.

‘Would you rather lie down, Kerensa? My bed’s through the next room so you won’t have to climb the stairs.’

‘No… thank you, Kenver. I’d rather stay here then I can see if someone’s coming.’

‘I’ll, um, fetch you a dish of tea,’ he said. ‘You look really parched.’

‘Your mother never had an empty teapot as I remember,’ Kerensa remarked, the memory almost making her smile.

‘Then I’ll get you some water so you can clean up a bit.’

‘Thank you, Kenver. You are kind.’ She rubbed at fresh tears and sniffed and gulped. Kenver reached round to a pile of laundry airing behind him and took one of Alice’s handkerchiefs which he gave to Kerensa. She thanked him and buried her face in it.

‘I wish I could do more for you, Kerensa,’ Kenver said, and seeing her only as a friend of the family in distress he patted her shoulder and wound her hair back behind her ears.

‘I’m just so glad you’re here, Kenver. It’s a great help.’

‘Have you any idea who attacked you?’ he asked, as he expertly manoeuvred his chair round the furniture to reach the teapot.

‘No… none at all,’ she sniffed, peering out through the window and willing Clem or Morley to appear.