‘What is it?’ Esther whispered and scrambled to her feet, pulling the front of her blouse across her exposed breast. ‘Where’s me skirt? Quick!’

Jonathan too was buckling his trousers and reaching for his shirt.

‘No,’ she whispered urgently. ‘You stay here. I’ll – I’ll see who it is.’

She almost fell down the ladder from the hayloft and ran out of the barn.

‘Enid, what is it?’ She hurried across the yard, hastily brushing the tell-tale wisps of hay from her clothing.

Enid turned and, closer now, Esther heard the girl’s gasp of surprise. ‘Where’ve you – ?’ the girl began and then seemed to think better of it.

‘What’s the matter?’ Esther asked again.

‘Me dad sent me for yar ’osses. There’s a ship been sunk out at sea. He’s got to take the lifeboat out.’

‘Right,’ Esther said, ‘come on, we’ll . . .’

As they moved to go towards the stable, they both heard, thinly through the walls of the house, the wailing of Esther’s child.

Esther gave a click of exasperation through her teeth, ‘There now, your knocking has woken Kate.’

‘I’m sorry I’m sure,’ Enid said, her tone stiff with sarcasm. ‘But I heard her crying as I got to the door, afore I even knocked.’ She tossed her head and glared defiantly at Esther, as if to say ‘the fault’s not mine’ .

Ignoring Enid’s attitude, Esther snapped, ‘You go in to Kate and I’ll see to the horses.’

Prince and Punch were reluctant to leave the warmth of their stable. They didn’t take kindly to a night shift as well. Punch let out a whinny which echoed through the night air then he kicked his huge hoof against the door as Esther struggled to harness them.

‘Whoa there, stand, damn you,’ she shouted, so unlike the gentle tones she normally reserved for the animals that the horse only kicked all the more.

‘Esther, here, let me.’ All at once Jonathan was beside her in the stable, stroking the animal’s mane and speaking in soothing tones to them. Silently, he harnessed Punch, whilst Esther dealt with Prince, the more docile of the two. Then they each led one out. At that moment Enid came out of the house carrying a lantern. She held it aloft and in its light Esther could see her glancing from one to the other.

‘I’ll stay with the bairn whilst you both take the ’osses,’ the girl said and added with an unmistakable note of censure, ‘She’s wet through and been crying for ages. But you go on, I’ll see to her.’