‘We stayed a while so Simon Peter could keep Master Kane company and take his mind off the accident,’ Rosina explained. ‘We came across them on the way back from the Wheal Ember mine and my husband brought Master Luke most of the way home.’

‘Did he indeed,’ replied the doctor, helping himself to the food on an assortment of plates laid out in the centre of the hall. ‘Taking your monthly distribution of foodstuffs to the miners’ children, I suppose. How fortunate you chose today to make your journey. I take it you were invited into the house by Sir Oliver himself?’

Peter Blake fidgeted uncomfortably under the doctor’s inquisitiveness. The last time he had entered the manor was when he had tried to force his amorous attentions on Kerensa. She had barely spoken to him today. Either she would never forgive him or she was too worried over the plight of her son to indulge in polite conversation.

‘This has been a day for shocks and surprises,’ Charles Crebo remarked to his plate, as if the Blakes had already left. ‘First, Sir Oliver turns up out of nowhere as unexpectedly as he went off, second I am called upon to treat a most interesting injury, and then Mr Blake’s presence here seems agreeable… Now where is that brandy?’

At ten o’clock Kerensa left Luke’s bedside for the nursery to feed Kelynen. A few minutes’ later Luke stirred and cried out. Oliver dropped to his knees and stroked the boy’s sweating brow.

‘It’s all right, Luke, it’s Father. I’m come home to take care of all of you and make everything all right again.’

Luke’s eyes flickered and opened slowly, they were dulled with pain and incomprehension. He licked his dry bottom lip and screamed as he tried to move his tender arm and shoulder.

‘Keep still, keep still, Luke!’ Oliver said loudly to break through the boys delirium. ‘You must keep still, try not to move for now.’

Luke opened his mouth and formed a soundless word. It happened again and again until a puff of sound issued from his cracked lips.

‘Fa… ther.’

‘Yes, Luke. I’m staying right here beside you, I promise, and I’ll never go away from you again.’ Feelings of guilt racked Oliver for leaving his child. If he had not gone away, the race for the foal would have been over long ago.

Luke’s eyes grew large and rounded, fear contorted his small swollen face. His head rolled from side to side, his whole body agitated.

‘Go back to sleep, son.’ Oliver was alarmed but kept it under control. ‘Shush now, it’s all right, everything is all right now.’

Luke suddenly pierced Oliver’s eyes with his own. ‘Father… I saw… I saw…’ and he could get no more out.