‘That’s a very grave allegation to make. Do you have any evidence that points to it being him?’

‘N-no,’ George admitted reluctantly. ‘But who else could it be? I want you to bring him in for questioning and if he can’t tell you where he was this evening then I’d say we had our man, wouldn’t you? Who else would want to attack my Cissie?’

‘Leave it with me, sir,’ the officer told him. ‘We’ll start an investigation straight away and rest assured, we will keep you fully informed.’

George thanked him and left the station with his hands clenched into fists with rage.

‘You surely don’t believe that Cissie’s own flesh and blood would do that to her, do you?’ Tom asked as he drove George home. It was late now and the streets of the town were almost deserted save for the odd man staggering out of the doors of an inn.

‘Aye, I do.’ George was keeping his eyes peeled for a sight of Hugh and it would be God help him if he clapped eyes on him. ‘I’m tellin’ you, Tom, he’s a bad ’un. I’ve only met him a couple o’ times but I didn’t take to him at all. He’s the double of his father inside and out from what I can make of it, though I’ve never said that to our Cissie. I didn’t want to upset her, like.’

Tom nodded sadly. He had known Cissie for many years and was all too aware of how deeply she had longed to find the son who had been stolen from her arms at birth. ‘Well, you’ve reported your suspicions to the police now, so best let them handle it, eh? Our time will be better spent taking care of Cissie.’

Seeing the sense in what Tom said, George lapsed into silence, but inside he was afraid. If his suspicions turned out to be true, the knowledge of what her son had done to her could well kill his beloved wife, even if her injuries didn’t!

George and Sunday sat with Cissie for the rest of the night, insisting that Tom should get some rest. ‘The staff will need someone to help them with the children in the morning and there’s no sense in us all sitting here. Go and get some rest,’ Sunday ordered with a tired smile.

Tom knew that she was right and eventually made his way to bed, but sleep evaded him as he thought on what George had told him. First thing in the morning, as soon as it was light, he was up and dressed. Thankfully the house was still sleeping as he slipped out of the back door and made for the woods. It had been too dark to see anything the night before and he wanted to check the area where the attack had taken place.