“That’s what Mum told us,” said Jess. “She said it was the women who mattered. They were the ones who kept the farm and the family going, even if the name changed.”

“Makes sense,” said Madeleine. “From this, it looks like there was a pretty high mortality rate. Didn’t leave many men to carry on their family names. Looks like the farm had to be restocked a few times, too. Then, after the Norman Conquest, things changed. Most of the old Saxon nobles were replaced by Normans after the invasion. New lord of the manor probably thought it was all crap, and wasn’t going to waste good soldiers on Thursdale. So that’s how the job went from being an honour to a sort of punishment duty. They gave the farm to people who’d be exiled or executed otherwise – outcasts.”

“Disposable,” said Jess. For the first time since her family’s death, there were tears in her eyes. “Trash. That’s what Mum called the people round here. But she always said that was what we were to them.”

And she’d been right; God knew that was how Ellie had thought of the Harpers. It was only now she wondered how much of it had been a self-fulfilling prophecy. Too late to do any good. “Everyone expected them to spend their lives protecting the village,” she said. “Probably hardly saw anyone from Barsall, and when they did –”

“Treated like shit,” said Jess in a tiny voice.

Milly squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry, love. But you’re gonna be all right.”

“Am I, though?” And Jess began to cry.

It was sinking in now, how alone she was. Not that she hated Mum and the others any less, Paul especially – but she’d seen the looks she got, even here. Not just Laura Caddick – although she’d softened, despite what Paul’d done, and Tara was nice. Dr Emmanuel was lovely, too, and Ellie – but the others, so many of the others –

Same as the looks they’d used to get when the few times they’d come into Barsall: cold, judging. Scum. Vermin. And what’d she done? ’Cept be born a Harper? Mum’d always gone on about what stuck-up bastards they were here, how they’d get their comeuppance one day. And maybe she’d been right, cos Jess got those looks even now, when she’d run away and come to help. Vermin. Scum. From people who didn’t even know her. She’d never hurt anyone here, had she? Worst she’d done was shoplift from the Co-Op once and get caught, and that’d only been to please Mum. Hadn’t worked, cos she’d got a smacking off Mum for it – not the stealing but the getting caught, cos that’d got the whole family barred from the Co-Op for months after. Didn’t mean they could look at her like that.