‘Dun’t I know it. Where do ya think me husband is? Out in France more than likely, when he should be here helping with the ploughing and the threshing.’ She took a step towards him and the little man backed away.

‘Well – er – I’ll see what I can do. I’ll – er – bid you good-day, Mrs Hilton.’

‘Good-day, mester.’

Through narrowed eyes, she watched him go.

Early the next morning, as the dawn stretched fingers of light across the sea, Esther led Punch and Prince across the marshland towards the East Dunes. Finding a sheltered hollow, she tethered them to a sturdy elder bush and left them, returning at night to lead them back to the farm to feed and again in the early morning leading them back again into the dunes. So, during the second week when the official came back with two men to lead her horses away, Esther was able to say, quite truthfully, ‘They ain’t here. They’ve gone.’

‘You mean someone’s taken them away?’

‘That’s right,’ she said, deliberately misinterpreting his meaning.

‘Well, really,’ muttered the little man. ‘I really do wish my colleagues would keep me informed of what they’re doing. Good day, Mrs Hilton. I apologize for having wasted your time.’

Not until the little man and his helpers were safely out of earshot did Esther laugh aloud. It had been worth all the loss of sleep with her early morning and late night treks to the dunes to keep her horses!

Life for Esther had never been easy nor did she expect it to be, but caring for her child, running the farm and helping others in return for their help was beginning to take its toll even upon her strength and determination.

‘You’re losing weight, lass,’ Will told her, and not for the first time, ‘and you look tired.’

Esther tried to smile but found that her brave act didn’t fool Will Benson anyway. ‘I am, Will. I’m very tired,’ she admitted to him as she would not have done to anyone else. ‘But,’ she added stoically, ‘what else is there to do? I made me own bed, an’ now I’ll have to lie in it.’

‘Aye, I know, lass, I know. But ya didn’t reckon on lying in it on ya own.’

At that moment, Kate came toddling towards Will on her chubby legs, her arms outstretched to him asking to be picked up. Fondly, Esther watched them together, the greying wisps of Will’s hair, which still glinted red in the sunlight, close to the bright red-gold curls of the child as she wrapped her arms about his neck.

‘You’ll never guess, Esther, who came on the cart with me this morning.’ Will rocked Kate back and forth in his arms. She chortled and played with his watch chain.

Esther wrinkled her forehead. ‘No one I know, was it?’

Will nodded. ‘Young Ernie Harris.’