Hoping that her dreadful mood might be passing, he tentatively asked how she was. Her answer was a curt, ‘Alright.’ Thus encouraged, he kept chatting to the locked door. He sat with his back against it and talked, describing the weather, the odd jobs he was doing, finishing by telling her that Matt would be calling in shortly and asking if she’d like to see him.

To his surprise, he heard her footsteps approach the door. She flung it open.

Kate stood over him, her face a picture of amazement and a sort of sneering wonderment. ‘You really don’t get it, do you? I don’t want people here! No one! And I don’t want you sitting outside my door whining on about nothing when I’m trying to work!’

He scrambled to his feet and turned to face her. ‘I’m sorry if caring about you and worrying because you’re not eating constitutes whining. And as for Matt, he’s our friend! He’s bending over backwards to help you right now. Why would you not want to see him?’

‘Oh yes, good old Matt. He’s here for me, alright. I’m not blind, you know. I can see through this deception, Will. Just like I saw through your feeble attempt to inveigle your niece into our lives. Well, it’s not going to happen!’

Will turned and walked down the stairs. He had had enough, and if he didn’t get away from her, he would most likely say something that couldn’t be unsaid. It was no good telling himself that it was her illness. His patience was at an end. He went outside and sat on the seat to wait for Matt.

He stared out over the fen, unaware that he was pulling his wedding ring on and off his finger. He was not dealing with this situation very well at all. The sound of the door latch made him jump, and he shrank down on to the seat, fearing his reaction if she subjected him to another barrage from her acid tongue. It took him a long time to turn and look up at her.

Kate stood for a minute, and then sat down and took his hand in both of hers. Her fingers were ice cold, despite the warmth of the sun. He slipped his hand from hers, took off his jacket and draped it around her bony shoulders, gently lifting her dark hair over the collar. He noticed her sour smell. She hadn’t washed since that odd conversation about Sophie. This was so unlike Kate that Will could have cried.

‘What is happening to me?’ She sounded like a small, frightened child, and the eyes she turned to him were huge and dark.

He held her to him and rocked her back and forth. A tear made its slow way down her ashen cheek and she began to sob.