‘Oh, Ella, how can you say that? You know how much I love you.’

‘But you weren’t there, Aunty Peggy,’ she wailed. ‘She wouldn’t even let me come to see you. Not for six years.’

Peggy sighed. ‘But Jonathan loves you.’

Fresh tears welled and flooded down the swollen, blotchy cheeks. ‘I know. But – he – he’s not my real grandfather, is he?’ she whispered.

‘Oh.’ Peggy blinked. ‘So you’ve been finding out all about the past, have you?’ And when Ella nodded, Peggy murmured, ‘Your grannie wouldn’t like that.’

‘She didn’t,’ the girl said bitterly. ‘But Uncle Danny told me, after she was so mad at me and Rob. He took me to Suddaby and then back to Fleethaven. Even Grandpa agreed I ought to be told, but . . .’ her face clouded, the feeling of guilt washing over her ‘. . . he’s not very well now. He doesn’t seem to have the strength to cope with the rows between me and Gran. I just thought, well, if I left, things might be easier for him too. I mean, she’ll look after him. At least, I think she will. He’s her whole life – him and the farm.’ And the unspoken words hung in the air; that she believed she had no part in her grandmother’s life. All she had ever been was a hindrance, an intruder in the couple’s life.

Peggy bent forward a little and searched her face, asking perceptively, ‘You’re not sure, though, are you? I think you’re worried about him.’

Ella nodded. ‘I – I just wonder if he’ll cope with all the work when I’m not there to help. Gran’s so strong, she doesn’t tolerate weakness in anyone.’

‘Not even her beloved Jonathan?’ Peggy asked in surprise.

Ella shrugged. ‘Oh, I think if anything happened to him, she’d be frantic. It’s just . . .’ She hesitated, struggling to put into words something that was merely a feeling. ‘He never grumbles, you see, never complains that he’s tired.’

‘And she never notices?’

‘Well, sometimes. You know, it was always, “Ella do this, your grandpa’s tired,” or, “Ella, your grandpa needs help.” But if I’m not there . . .’

She left the words hanging in the air, but her unhappy face showed she could not entirely bury her worry for the kind and gentle man she still thought of as her grandfather, never mind the absence of blood ties.

‘Do they know you’ve come here?’

Ella shook her head. ‘I – just walked out in the night. Like they say she did when she was sixteen. That’s how she came to Brumbys’ Farm.’

‘And you’ve run away from it,’ Peggy murmured and sighed, then added, ‘We must let them know you’re here, that you’re safe.’

‘She won’t care!’