The doctor was sorry but there was nothing he could do. ‘I’ll leave you this,’ he added, handing her a bottle of liquid. ‘It may just help him to rest a little at night. Are you sure you can manage, my dear? You’re looking exhausted. I could remove him to the cottage hospital, but I very much doubt he would survive the journey into the town . . .’

Esther shook her head vehemently. ‘No – no. I dun’t want that. I’ll manage . . .’

Matthew stepped forward to stand beside her. ‘We’ll manage, doctor. I’ll be staying here now to help Esther.’

Esther saw the doctor glance from one to the other, her own doubts mirrored in his face. ‘Well now, I don’t quite know if that would – well – be quite right. Isn’t there someone – some woman – who could come and help out?’

‘If you’re thinking of the gossips, doctor, dun’t worry. Esther’s not one to let their wagging tongues bother her,’ Matthew said. For a moment, despite the seriousness of their situation, his cheeky grin was back. ‘An’ as for keepin’ me in me place, well, she’s a dab hand at that, an’ all!’

The doctor glanced back at Esther and she, seeing that he was still not convinced of the rightness of leaving two young people alone in the farmhouse together, gave him a brief nod. ‘We’ll be all right, thank you, Doctor Blair. ’Tis Sam we’ve to worry about!’

Doctor Blair sighed heavily. ‘I’m sad to say you’re right there, my dear.’ He turned away and went out to his gig. ‘I’ll call again in a day or two, but don’t hesitate to send for me if you need me.’

As the gig clattered out of the farmyard, Matthew said, ‘Who’s paying for all these doctor’s visits, Esther? The likes of us dun’t have doctors – not unless we’re dying.’

Esther faced Matthew and said quietly, ‘Sam is dying, Matthew.’

He stared at her for a moment and then dropped his gaze to look at the ground and shuffle his feet. For once, Esther felt a moment’s sympathy for the young man’s awkwardness, so she added briskly, ‘Besides, I’ll see the doctor’s paid when the harvest money comes in. Now, lets get back to Sam.’

That night Matthew filled four sacks with straw to form a makeshift bed for himself on the floor in the old nursery between Sam’s room and the little room where Esther now slept. ‘It’s no good me sleeping out in the hayloft, or in that little boxroom you had. I’m no use to you out there.’

‘What do you mean?’ she asked sharply.

‘I’ll never hear if you need help, or if Sam gets worse.’