‘You all right, El?’

She returned his steady gaze. Today there was no merry grin stretched across his mouth, no teasing laughter, but she could see the concern in his deep brown eyes.

‘Why’ve you been ignoring me?’

He wriggled his shoulders in embarrassment. ‘I thought it best. I didn’t want to mek ya grannie any madder.’

A spark of resentment flared. ‘I see. More bothered about what Gran will say than about me.’

‘No – yes – I mean . . .’ He was floundering but Ella was in no mood to help him. ‘I thought it’d only make things worse for you. I hoped if I stayed away a bit it might all blow over.’

‘Blow over?’ She snorted. ‘No chance!’

‘Well, I don’t think you an’ me dad have helped by going off on your little trip, digging up the past. You’re only hurting her more.’

So, she thought, she wasn’t the only one who now knew all the secrets. Danny must have told Rob everything too.

‘It was their lives, El. It’s all so long ago. It doesn’t make any difference to us, now does it? Ya gran would have come round if you’d given her time.’

Suddenly she felt more sad than angry. He didn’t understand how she felt, how everything that had happened in her grandmother’s life, in her mother’s life, did indeed still overshadow Ella’s own.

‘Perhaps it doesn’t really affect you, Rob,’ she told him quietly, ‘but there’s still things I have to know.’

She thought she saw the hurt in his eyes, but it was so fleeting that afterwards she wondered if she had imagined it. He stared at her for a moment, a slight frown creasing his forehead. Then looking away, he shrugged. ‘Well, it’s up to you . . .’ He bent forward, twisted a lever and then stamped on the kickstart. The engine noise filled the air, making any more conversation impossible. He wheeled the bike round and, mouthing, ‘See ya . . .’ at her, he set off down the lane once more, this time turning left at the end, and roared along the coast road towards the town.

Her gaze followed his speeding shape as far as she could see and even when he had disappeared from her view, she could still hear the sound of him.

Her eyes filled with tears but she brushed them aside angrily with the back of her hand and marched with fresh determination towards the gate of Rookery Farm. As she went into the yard, Danny came out of the milking shed. ‘Hello, young Ella. You’ve just missed him. Gone to the pictures, I think. Do you want to go with him? I could run you into town if you like.’

‘No!’ Her tone was sharper than she had intended. Then she added swiftly as an excuse, ‘No thanks, Uncle Danny. I’m not allowed out.’