He shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’ He caught her by the sleeve as she was about to make for the back door. ‘No, you don’t. I’ll go – you stay here.’ He picked up a bucket and went outside.

Judy could hear him stamping around in the dark and cursing, but then there was the swooshing sound of water hitting the pail, and she sighed with relief. At the bottom of the bag was a poke of tea leaves and another of sugar. That might sweeten Jay’s temper a little.

He stamped back into the kitchen and put the bucket down with a thud.

‘There you are. Now get on with it.’

Judy filled the kettle and placed it on the hob. She began to prepare the meal by peeling the vegetables. ‘There’s no need to be so surly, Jay Tattersall. I’m not your slave and I’ve no idea why I’m here, or why you’re behaving like this.’

Jay sat down and put his feet up on a second chair. ‘You caused my young brother a lot of misery. All he wanted was for you to accompany him to Australia, but you decided to stay at home. Perhaps you had your eye set on the next master of Creek Manor.’

‘You don’t know what you’re talking about. I was heartbroken the first time Jack went off without a word. You planned it that way, didn’t you?’

‘Watch your tongue, girl. You’re nothing to me and I don’t give a tinker’s cuss for your good opinion. You’re here because I’ve got a use for you. You’ll find out in good time – now get on with the cooking.’

Judy did not like to push him too far. This was not the Jay she remembered from childhood days. When he had first married Daisy he had been kind and cheerful and generally well liked. Even when he had lost his memory after his return from a long period of absence, he had been a polite, if slightly distant master to the servants at Creek Manor, but this man was a relative stranger, and an unpleasant one at that.

Judy prepared the vegetables, adding them to the pot together with chunks of salty bacon and topping it up with water. She made the tea and handed Jay a steaming mug, sweetened with a little of the sugar. He drank it in silence, staring moodily into space, and Judy occupied herself by searching the drawers and cupboards for bowls and cutlery. The items she found were in need of a wash, and she was glad of having something to keep her busy. All the while she was plotting her escape, but she would have to wait until Jay was asleep. It was true that she had no idea where they were, but when she went to the back door and opened it just a crack she could hear the sea. A walk along the coast would almost certainly bring her to a village or habitation of some sort. It was a cold night, but dry, with very little wind. All she needed was a shawl or a blanket to wrap around her shoulders and she could walk for miles. While the soup was cooking she had a good look round the scullery and found a lantern beneath the stone sink. There were a few candles in Jay’s bag, together with a box of matches. He seemed to have thought of everything.