‘Well, well,’ the squire rubbed his hands together. ‘This has all worked out very nicely. I had oo idea you two were intending to be married. This is splendid, really splendid news.’ He looked towards Matthew and added, ‘I’ll have the tenancy agreement drawn up by my lawyer and let you know when to come and sign it . . .’

Matthew stared dumbly at the squire, who cleared his throat and turned to Esther for reassurance. ‘You must come too, seeing as how really it was you . . .’ He coughed in embarrassment and stopped, glancing again at Matthew. The door opened and the butler carried in a tray of glasses and the wine. With obvious relief the squire turned to pour out the wine himself, dismissing the manservant, and handing the glasses to Esther and Matthew. Mr Marshall raised his glass, ‘Here’s to a long life of happiness and success in your new venture.’

Esther felt that one of them should speak, say something, and since Matthew seemed to have lost his wits, she said, ‘Thank you, Mester Marshall. We’ll do our best to run the farm right, won’t we, Matthew?’

Matthew took a gulp of the wine, spluttered slightly and nodded. He opened his mouth to speak but a fit of coughing overcame him as the wine caught the back of his throat.

Not until they were half-way down the lane leading back to Brumbys’ Farm did Matthew speak. They had come out of the big house and walked side by side down the drive and out of the gate. Without even looking at him Esther could feel the rigid anger of Matthew’s body as he took huge, furious strides, so that she had to take a little running step every so often to keep pace with him.

Well away from the Grange under a clump of trees that overhung the lane, he stopped and turned to face her, gripping her upper arms with his strong hands so that his fingers dug into her flesh. ‘What’s going on, Esther?’

‘We – the squires giving us the tenancy of the farm, Sam’s farm.’

‘Oh? And when was ail this worked out, eh?’

‘I – I asked him after Sam died, after his funeral. You know I did.’

There was a pause and then his blue eyes narrowed. ‘But what did he mean when he said he wasn’t a man to go back on his promise? What promise?’

Esther hesitated.

Matthew shook her. ‘What did he promise you?’

The words came out in a rush. ‘He promised me the tenancy of the farm if I was married.’

It seemed he stared at her a long time, just stared and stared not releasing his hurtful grip, not speaking, just holding her gaze with his own hard, wrathful eyes. His breathing became deeper.

‘You mean – you married me – just to get the bloody farm?’