‘Look, I’ve been thinking about this,’ he said, and he came nearer, standing over me. I must have shrunk back a little because he instantly changed his pose and squatted down in front of me like he was going to take my boots off.

‘Love, I’ll admit it – you got me interested last night,’ he said, and I saw for the first time how attractive his eyes were. They reminded me of the colours at a pigeon’s throat. ‘What you said about prisoners of war and papers under the church floor. It got me blood up and I saw in Felicity that she didn’t want to let it go. But I feel like I were drunk on it last night and I’m sober right now and there’s no way I want either of you messing about in this.’

‘It was an accident,’ I said, shaking my head. ‘The wagon came out of nowhere. She’d run because a bird came through the window. She’d had a fright.’

‘A bird?’ he asked.

‘Yeah, it came through the landing window and shattered the glass.’

‘It dead?’ asked John, standing up.

‘Of course. What does that matter?’

‘You won’t understand,’ said John, shaking his head. ‘We must seem like peasants to you, love. I don’t mean it cruel but you don’t know life as it’s lived here. They’re a superstitious lot.’

‘They?’ I asked, temper rising again. ‘You’re not one of them?’

‘I’m from Brampton, love. Compared to this place that’s the big city. I don’t walk under ladders and I try not to spill the salt but I don’t worry about omens and old prophesies or drawing a cross on my shoe if I see a white horse. But they do, love. Felicity’s from that. And a bird coming through the glass the week of the death of a loved one – that means they’re not at rest. To Felicity that means Fairfax is somewhere other than at peace. No wonder she ran.’

I could see then how much he wanted me gone. He wanted to go and hold his wife and it would have been wrong of me not to let him. But I needed more. Had to push.

‘Doesn’t that mean she’ll want to help me keep digging?’

‘Aye, it might, but it’s not what’s best.’

‘You, then,’ I said, a little desperately. ‘You could ask around with me. Read Fairfax’s papers with me. You know the locals. You said about Pike …’

‘Pike’s a nutter. Always has been. Put more men in hospital than the flu.’

‘And Chivers would know that?’ I asked.