“I’m sure he does. Those are new togs, aren’t they?” Jimmy’s own shooting clothes, like those of any self-respecting gun, could have belonged to a tramp. “Fellow’s a lounge lizard. Has he hit a thing all day?”

“Count your blessings; he hasn’t hit me, you, or a beater. At least he’s good-humoured about it.”

“Very true,” Jimmy admitted. “He isn’t a bad fellow, or at least he wouldn’t be if he wasn’t hanging around my sister.”

“I’d rather have him than Haworth too,” Pat said. “Can I take it your brother-in-law isn’t a gun?”

“Thank God, no. I don’t know if I could bear him all day as well as in the evenings.”

“But if he came out, we could shoot him and blame Jack. Jimmy, why on earth—”

“Don’t ask.”

“I really think I must. It’s one thing that he’s vile; it’s another to see it tolerated in this extraordinary way. As a friend, I have to ask, are you afraid of something?”

The colour drained from Jimmy’s face. Pat had seen that before, when her father had received the telegrams about Frank and Donald, healthy ruddiness turning a nasty sallow colour. “What do you mean?” he managed.

“I don’t know,” Pat said, somewhat alarmed. “That’s why I’m asking. Is he liable to be violent if crossed? To Lady Anna or—” Good heavens, she didn’t even know the child’s name. “—your nephew?”

“Is he a wife-beater? Not as far as I know. I wouldn’t put it past him, but his tongue is weapon enough. They have the most awful rows, although any man might if his wife—” He nodded at Jack up ahead to complete that thought.

“Then if you’re not afraid of what Haworth might do, why don’t you send him to the devil?”

Jimmy scowled, much as a man might on realising he’d just failed to grasp a convenient excuse. “It’s not that easy. He’s Anna’s husband.”

“And you’re Fen’s fiancée,” Pat said. “And if you were my fiancée, Jimmy, after last evening I should be returning your ring to you, and you’d be lucky if it came back by post rather than thrown at your head. Do you want to marry her?”

“Of course I do.”

“There isn’t any ‘of course’ about it. Nobody would think you gave two hoots for her.”

“I don’t know what business it is of yours,” Jimmy said, attempting dignity. “My relations with my fiancée—”