‘Dad!’

‘He’s one hell of a reputation, Gwen. I’ll not have him sully yours, even by association.’

‘Village rumour and tittle-tattle.’

‘Where there’s smoke there’s fire.’

‘You don’t know him.’

‘And I don’t want to! I know quite enough about him already.’

Gwen grits her teeth, her breathing fast and furious. When she speaks again, her voice is cold and determined. ‘Well, you can’t stop me. I shall see him if I wish. And if he asks me out riding again, I will go.’

Jim takes a threatening step forward; there is a blatant warning in the subtle tilt of his chin. ‘You will not, young lady. I will not be swayed on this, Gwen. Now you will mind your manners and you will do as I say.’ His voice rises in the face of her contempt. ‘I will not have you associating with that young man, do you understand me? I absolutely forbid it.’

Jack stares at the ground, his fists balled in his pockets. He risks a look at Gwen and sees she is keeping her emotions in check through sheer force of will.

‘Perfectly,’ she replies.

Her begrudging acquiescence defuses Jim’s ire. His shoulders relax, he draws in his chin and grunts with satisfaction. ‘Now hurry up and take that bloody thing up into the house. Those sheep aren’t going to dip themselves.’

Her lips part, but she seems to think better of whatever she is going to say and instead they wither into bitter twists as she hurries past him, breaking into a sprint that Jack suspects is spurred by anger or tears – or both. He turns to watch her go. Jim delves into his pocket for his Woodbines and taps one free.

‘That lad keeps trying it on, Jack, but I won’t have it, I tell you. Nothing good would come of it, I know that damn well. Only heartbreak lies that way for my Gwen.’ He rests his cigarette between his lips and talks around it. ‘I’m looking out for her, that’s all. Protecting her from the truth.’

But Jack is beginning to suspect Gwen is taking the same course of action with her father.

‘She’d never be good enough for the likes of him,’ Jim mutters.

Returning the packet to his pocket, he leaves the cigarette unlit as he walks back up the yard. Jack gives him a head start. Jim, he thinks, has it all wrong. There is no doubt that Gwen is good enough for Gordon Allingham. The doubt in Jack’s mind is whether Gordon Allingham is good enough for Gwen.

It is left to Jack and Gwen to prepare for the dipping. Jim, mindful of Gwen’s tight mouth and red-ringed eyes, absents himself to bring in the sheep.