They walked the two miles to the church, Esther’s arm through Matthew’s. She was wondering if now was the right time to tell him her news, but decided to leave it until they returned home. She was loath to spoil this moment, for she had no idea how he would take the fact that she, too, was to bear him a child.

In the church porch they met the Willoughbys and Miss Jenkins. Tom Willoughby greeted them jovially, asking how their horses had settled down and were they pleased with them? Had they got all their ploughing and sowing done? It was the general talk of the neighbouring farmers greeting each other. A determined smile stretched upon her mouth, Esther glanced at Martha Willoughby and her sister, Flo Jenkins. Their heads were bent close together, whispering.

She caught the odd snatch of their conversation. ‘Sam’s watch . . . new clothes . . .’ And then something she could not understand. ‘Fancy him daring to come today of all days.’

Esther’s fixed smile faded and her chin came up a little higher. Loudly she said, ‘Come, Matthew, we’d best take our place in Sam’s pew. I know he’d ’ave liked us to take his seat.’

With satisfaction, she heard the gasps from the two women and a ‘tut-tut’ as she stepped through the church door, walked up the aisle and took her place in the pew Sam had occupied. Matthew followed her in and sat beside her.

Just before the service began there was a slight commotion in the porch and the sound of a young baby crying. At her side, Esther felt Matthew stiffen. She turned her head to see the colour suffusing his neck and creeping slowly up his face. He stared fixedly straight ahead at the altar. Esther looked behind and saw Robert Eland and then Beth carrying her child wrapped in shawls into the church and taking a seat near the font. Tight-lipped, Esther too turned back and fixed her gaze upon the altar. Morning service began, but Esther was hardly aware of it. Mechanically, she rose and opened her lips to the hymns, mouthing the words. She knelt and whispered the prayers, yet all the time she was uncomfortably aware of the three other people at the rear of the church.

At the end of the service the beaming vicar announced that Robert and Beth Eland had brought their baby son to be christened and that all the congregation would be very welcome to stay if they so wished.

Esther made to stand up to leave, but Matthew gripped her arm and pulled her back down on to the seat. ‘We’re staying,’ he hissed. ‘’Tis the reason we came.’

Esther gasped. ‘Ya knew? Ya . . .’

Heads were turning towards the angry whispers between husband and wife.

‘Hush,’ someone demanded.

The vicar cleared his throat and raised his voice above the whispering and the shuffling and began the opening words of the service of baptism.