As she began on the cup of deliciously sugary tea and a plate of bread and butter and jam that Aunt Hatt brought her, everyone waited, talking gently, though she was hardly aware of anything they said. She felt blanketed in everyone’s love and concern, while they let her eat and gather herself without asking questions for the moment.

The food began to take its effect, and she felt herself grow stronger and calmer. She noticed, then, from her seat by the fire, that her father was seated on an upright chair, on the other side of the room. Aunt Hatt was fussing and giving everyone tea. Annie and Daisy sat either side of her while Philip was at the table and Uncle Eb stood somewhere letting out exclamations which included well-I-nevers at Margaret’s abrupt reappearance and finding his house suddenly full of people . . . Soon Aunt Hatt could contain herself no longer. She came and stood in front of Margaret.

‘Whatever happened, dear?’ she burst out. ‘I mean, I thought that young man seemed such a gentleman.’ Blushing suddenly, as she realized that whatever had happened might not be something with which Margaret wanted to regale a room full of people, she added, ‘Of course – if you can’t say . . .’

‘No – it’s all right, Auntie. And in any case –’ She felt strength pouring through her. Glancing across at her father, she went on, ‘Everything is on his conscience, not mine.’

She told them exactly what had happened – the sudden change of plan, going to Oxford, the grandmother’s house.

‘Oh! Locked you in!’ Aunt Hatt exclaimed, hands going to her face. She sank down on a chair at the end of the table. ‘Oh, my Lord!’

As Margaret told them about the progress of the night, the sheer terrifying weirdness of all that had happened sank into her and she was trembling as she spoke. But she wanted them to hear it – especially her father – in all its details.

‘And,’ she said emphatically, ‘d’you know what the old lady said to me, as she let me out of the house? She said . . .’ She turned very deliberately towards her father. ‘“He’s another of them – just like my pig of a husband was.”’

For a second she felt concerned that Daisy was hearing this. But then she thought, if I’d known a bit more at her age I might never have got into all that mess in the first place.

‘See,’ Annie said. She was not going to spare their father’s feelings and looked directly at him as she spoke. ‘That’s exactly what he was – is. And someone should do something about it. We should get the police on to him. He abducted you.’

‘I wonder if that old lady will be all right,’ Philip Tallis said. ‘I mean, if she locked him in?’