‘Where’s my little girl, then?’ Will asked climbing stiffly down from the front of his cart as Esther came running around the corner of the house from the front garden, a wet shirt in one hand, clothes pegs in the other.

‘Oh, it’s you, Will. I thought . . .’

‘Aye, lass, it is.’ He eyed her shrewdly. ‘Expecting someone else, were ya?’

‘Yes – no, no of course not.’

His gaze dropped to the man’s shirt she was holding in her hands. His eyebrows rose fractionally. ‘Matthew home, is he?’

It was an odd question, and there was a peculiar tone in his voice, as if he already knew the answer. There was more behind his remark than the mere words implied.

Esther looked down at the garment she carried, and then she tried to hide it behind her back. ‘Er – no, but I’m just doing a bit of weshing, that’s all.’ Will was the only person, other than perhaps Ma Harris, whose opinion mattered to her. Suddenly she was angry for allowing herself to feel that way. In her own estimation it was weakness.

She overcame her moment of confusion and glared at him, her chin coming higher, defying him to question her further. She turned away and strode round to the front of the house again, her back rigid against his prying. Will followed her and stood watching whilst boldly she shook out the shirt and pegged it wide on the line.

‘There’s talk, lass,’ he said gently.

Esther whirled around to face him, a sharp retort on her lips. She met Will’s steady gaze and read in his eyes not the malicious meddling of the Willoughby women, nor the gossipy tittering of the Harris family, but a genuine concern for her. The anger went out of her. She walked slowly towards him and put her hand on his arm.

‘Will,’ she whispered, as if sharing a secret, as indeed she was. ‘I am happier than I have ever been in me life – than I ever knew it was possible to be. Don’t begrudge me a little happiness, Will. Not you – of all people!’

She saw his old eyes water. ‘Eh, lass, Ah’d never do that, you should know that. But Ah can see you getting hurt. Real bad.’

She nodded. ‘I know – I know it can’t last for ever. One day, he’ll walk away from me down that lane and maybe I – I’ll never see him again. But for the moment . . .’ she shook her head almost in disbelief at herself – ‘I can’t help myself.’

‘We’ve all bin young, lass. An’ who am I to judge?’ A small smile quivered on Will’s mouth, then he was serious again. ‘Be careful, Esther lass, dun’t get hurt. And don’t give them vicious tongues the chance to wag all the more.’

She sighed. ‘I think it’s too late for that warning.’