‘Indeed you will, Kerensa, or I swear I’ll shake the truth out of you.’

He let go of her and she rubbed her arms where he’d gripped her fiercely. She moved out of his reach but he followed her and breathed heavily down on her while she began a shaky explanation.

‘On my first visit to Jenifer I… I noticed Bartholomew looked a lot like you. He was only a child then but I was quite shocked. Jenifer saw my reaction and told Samuel. They were worried that I might believe Bartholomew was yours… your son.’

‘And were they correct?’ Oliver asked harshly.

Kerensa flinched and looked down at the carpet under their feet, her eyes unconsciously fixed on a crown-shaped motif. ‘Yes… I… I was upset,’ she answered with difficulty. ‘I was upset because I thought you’d… deserted Jenifer… It was an easy enough mistake to make at the time, Oliver,’ she pleaded. ‘I hardly knew you except by your reputation. You went with so many women…’ Kerensa looked up into his face. ‘I know now of course you would never have deserted anyone, leaving them with your child.’

‘I suppose I ought to be grateful for that!’ Oliver said sarcastically. ‘When did Samuel tell you the truth, put you right in your… assumption?’

‘Well, I… I paid Jenifer a visit not long after their last child, Cordelia, was born. When I left, Samuel was waiting by the lychgate to speak to me. We went into the church. That’s when he told me about Sir Daniel being his real father. He asked me to keep it a secret from you,’ Kerensa proceeded earnestly. ‘It was on the same day that Peter Blake attacked me and killed poor Dunstan. I haven’t wanted to dwell on anything that happened on that dreadful day. Please, Oliver, try to understand—’

‘I understand this!’ he snarled. ‘You are my wife and you tell me you love me, yet for eight years you have kept this a secret from me. If you had the slightest amount of imagination you would have realised just how important it would be to me.’

‘I did what I thought was the best at the time.’

‘The best? I can hardly believe you said that. I trusted you, Kerensa, but now I find you’ve betrayed me.’ Oliver clenched his fists and held them tight against his sides. ‘It makes me wonder what else you’re holding back from me. What other secrets are you harbouring in your pretty little head?’

‘There’s nothing else, Oliver, believe me. Will you please calm down,’ she pleaded, ‘you’re getting this all out of proportion.’