Daniel felt the anger rising in his throat, so he looked past his son into the paddock between Deloraine and Glen Alpine; but there was no escape there. Beyond the newly-sown furrows, Daniel spotted Dylan, the city slicker behaving like he was the newest member of the family, going out with Bill for the day dressed up like a farmer after spending the night fussing over Jamie. Not one part of this was the path Daniel would have chosen for his son.

Ever since they’d driven home from the coast, he’d felt the guilt coming in waves. He’d tried to talk it off with the nurses, then sleep it off, but in the first light that morning while looking over Kippen from the hospital window, he’d realised there would be no escaping it.

‘Alright,’ he said, eyes on the forms that led to Andy Jones’s punishment.

Out of the silence, Jamie looked up with that quiet determination he’d shown on the boat yesterday. Daniel felt a tinge of pride at what a persistent little bugger his second boy was. Forgiving, too, like his mother; so this time, he’d better not take it for granted.

James sensed that Yvonne was waiting for him to say something, so when Dad had gone home to rest and the girls were having an afternoon sleep, he joined his cousin and her husband, who were talking quietly on the terrace.

As he lowered himself into one of the cane chairs, Doris asked if anyone wanted a cup of tea,

‘Yes, please,’ Yvonne said, putting down her cigarettes and settling into the end of the lounge. Pete called for one too and sat by her, blinking like he didn’t know what was coming. ‘Dylan’s so nice,’ his cousin added. ‘We’re so happy for you, Jamie.’

James laughed it off. ‘He’s pretty keen about farm life today,’ he said. ‘But the shine will come off quick enough.’

‘I’ve already told him he’d be able to choose whatever teaching job he wanted at Kippen Primary,’ Yvonne said. ‘It’s hard to keep teachers out our way, if they don’t have local family.’

James went to make another joke, but he’d underestimated Dylan enough this week. ‘We need to work out what we’re going to do, with the farms,’ he said, just as the phone rang.

‘I’ll take it in the office,’ Doris called.

Pete looked at his feet, as though he’d been told to keep his thoughts to himself. Yvonne took his hand. ‘Mum and Dad are going to let us take on the old manager’s cottage here,’ she said. ‘It needs a lot of work, but we’ll have some money left once we sell up and see to our debts.’

James looked her in the eye. ‘That what you really want?’