‘I don’t use many of the rooms,’ she said. ‘It’s a bit wasted on me. We didn’t need anywhere that big really.’

‘He’ll be joining you afore long though, eh?’ asked John. He found his ashtray beneath his chair and extinguished the one he was smoking while fumbling in his shirt pocket for a fresh one.

‘We don’t know what the future will bring,’ said Cordelia, looking away.

‘London he works, so I hear.’

‘Yes. He’s a Mandarin. Civil servant, I mean. Whitehall.’

John stuck out his lower lip, impressed. ‘Knew he were important. Only met him a couple of times but he were friendly enough. Generous too.’

‘That’ll do, John,’ I said, filling the kettle. I knew well enough how many locals had taken more than their fair share of ready money from Mr Hemlock. It would do to not have his wife be just as familiar with the details as I was.

‘The boys in their rooms?’ asked John, undoing his shirt to the waist and making himself comfortable. He looked handsome, sitting there, like the chair were a throne and his damp work trousers a pair of velvet slacks.

‘Brian’s tying. James is probably drawing. Henry the Eighth this term.’

‘That’ll be a bloodbath,’ said John, winking. ‘Lock up your lipstick. He’s a one for drawing, our eldest. I’m not sure you’d hang his stuff on your wall but it’s got something to it. You got brothers and sisters Mrs Hemlock?’

‘No,’ she said, quietly. ‘Only child.’

‘And where is it did you say you were from.’

‘All over, in a way.’

‘Where yer mam, though?’

‘Over in Durham,’ she said, and I was surprised to hear that. It were only an hour and a half in the car to Durham. I wondered if she and her mam were close.

‘Been there for work,’ said John. ‘Wanted to take Felicity with me but she won’t go out if there’s a chance of driving back in the dark. She’s a nervous passenger. Nervous everything, ain’t you, Felicity?’

Cordelia shuffled herself around on the seat. She looked uncomfortable. I suppose she weren’t used to family life. I didn’t know the first thing about her past and I didn’t like to ask. John weren’t as concerned with the look of things. He could be an old woman for gossip.

‘Had a chinwag with yon charver from Bewcastle on walk from village,’ said John. ‘The estate’s already asked him to fix the headstone and tow the tree. No time for Keith to get his lazy backside to the table. Shame having somebody from outside getting the job but the money were there so no point hanging about.’

I was busy with teacups and drying spoons. It took me a second to pay attention.