‘You’ve been asleep for nearly an hour,’ Clem told Kerensa gently.

‘Where am I?’ she murmured, gazing about the room where she lay in a small lumpy bed. ‘I’ve not been here before.’

He took her hot moist hands from the green and blue patchwork cover. ‘This is the main bedroom of the farm.’

‘Where you and Alice sleep?’

‘Aye, it was Father’s idea to move into the lean-to after Mother died and for us to come in here. I think he wanted some peace and quiet from the rest of us.’

Kerensa smiled at the little bed in the corner where a rag doll she had made herself sat propped up against the pillow. It was Jessica’s bed and she could picture the tiny girl with the golden curls cuddling the doll in her sleep. Kerensa wanted to go back to sleep and closed her eyes again. But a terrifying vision of a young man, battered, bleeding and dying on a cart track invaded her mind and she screamed out his name. She struggled to sit up but Clem firmly held her down.

‘It’s all right, my love. Jack is in the lean-to. Father fetched him in the cart. It’s too risky to take either of you back to the manor so Adam Renfree, who arrived here a little while ago, has ridden off to Marazion to fetch Dr Crebo. Adam was worried out of his mind about you, he’s been out looking for you, he and many others, but they went to places like Trelynne Cove first.’

‘Jack’s alive? He’s still alive?’

‘Yes, my love, he’s still alive. Kenver’s with him, he’s cleaning up some of his wounds with Rosie’s concoctions, the stuff Beatrice taught her to make, so they won’t go septic.’

‘And Jack will be all right, Clem?’

Clem stroked her cheek very tenderly. ‘We don’t know that for sure yet, my love, but we mustn’t give up hope.’

Kerensa became calmer, she raised her arms and put her hands on Clem’s shoulders. ‘It’s so good to see you. I think I rode out this way in the first place with some vague idea of seeing you.’

‘You know I’m here whenever you want me.’ He softly kissed her flushed cheeks.

‘It was such a relief to find Kenver here in that strange contraption of his. It gave me quite a shock but I’m glad it helps him to get about.’

‘It was his idea, he made it himself.’

‘I must have given him a fright myself, turning up like this. Oh, what have I done, Clem,’ she said wretchedly. ‘It’s all my fault Jack got beaten the way he did. If I hadn’t insisted on—’

‘None of that.’ Clem pressed a finger to her lips. ‘Jack was hurt trying to protect you. It’s all that would have mattered to him.’