Ella ignored her grandmother’s scolding and said, ‘Gran, there’s someone coming in a boat.’

Esther looked at her. ‘Really?’ And she began to wade towards the back door, with Grandma Eland close behind her and Ella following, asking, ‘It’ll be Mum coming back. I’m sure it’s Mum coming. Where’s Grandpa? Is he all right this morning?’

Esther sniffed with disapproval. ‘Silly man. He’s got a bit of a cough through getting chilled but he’s gone out again to see to the cows.’

The three of them stood together in the murky sea water at the open back door watching a little rowing boat being manoeuvred from the lane, or at least where the lane should be, through the farmyard gate and towards the back door of the house.

‘It’s Uncle Danny and Rob.’ Ella’s sharp eyes recognized them first. ‘But – but I can’t see Mum. Maybe she’s stopped at Rookery Farm and they’ve come to take me to her . . .’

At that moment Jonathan emerged from the cowshed. Hitching his thigh boots up as far as he could, he began to wade towards the boat. He shouted a greeting. ‘Morning, Harbour Master, what time’s the tide go out?’

They heard Danny’s laughter drifting towards them. ‘Glad you can joke about it.’ And as the boat floated closer, he called, ‘You all right, Missus, and the young ’un?’

‘As well as can be expected,’ Esther replied tartly, but she was smiling even if a little wryly. Danny pulled in the oars and he and Rob sat in the boat as it floated near the back door.

‘What about you, Mam?’

Grandma Eland’s face beamed. ‘If it hadn’t been for that man there,’ she nodded towards Jonathan, ‘I wouldn’t be standing here at all.’

‘How’s things with you, Danny?’ Jonathan asked, swiftly turning the attention away from himself, but Ella noticed that his voice was still husky and his breathing difficult.

‘We’re okay. The surge came in over the headland and up the river and that’s why you’ve got it. It was too sudden, too fast for the river to cope with the volume. It’s come into our yard, but not into the house. So, we’ve come to fetch all of you to Rookery Farm,’ he said, his glance going from one to the other.

Without waiting for her husband’s opinion, Esther said sharply, ‘I aren’t leaving me farm and no one’s going to make me.’

‘Now, wait a minute, Esther—’ Jonathan began, but she rounded on him. ‘I’m not going and that’s flat!’

‘Well, what about Ella, then?’

Esther did not answer Danny’s question, but instead asked, ‘Is Kate with you? Is she back?’

The colour drained from Danny’s face and his mouth gagged open. ‘Kate?’ he said hoarsely. ‘Isn’t she here? With you?’

Esther shook her head.