‘So you’ll understand that I have to be very careful until that’s been cleared up.’ He took a last draw on his cigarette and stubbed it out against the wall. ‘Now listen. This is deadly serious. I want you to back off from this business with Eli’s hut.’ I was about to interrupt, but he held up a hand. ‘Let me finish. I need to concentrate on sorting out the church finances, before anything else. And while that is still under investigation, I simply cannot afford to offend Mr Blackman – or anyone. I’m going to need all the support I can get.’

That night the village seemed to be holding its breath. In the distance we heard the first rumblings of thunder and a few flashes of lightning lit up the sky, but the rain never arrived and the heat felt even more oppressive than before.

18

Next morning was overcast and not a single hint of a breeze tickled the leaves of the trees as Jimmy and I walked down the lane to the Hall. The air seemed weighed down with humidity, and we were soon perspiring from the simple effort of walking downhill. But when we arrived, Kit was bounding with an almost manic energy, so that he could barely keep still, and was grinning from ear to ear.

‘Come in, come in,’ he said. ‘Ma’s out, and I’ve got a treat for Jimmy.’

‘The Blackness – he came last night and threatened me about the petition,’ I whispered as he led us along a corridor.

‘Shh. Let’s not spoil Jimmy’s surprise. We’ll have time later.’ He winked conspiratorially, and my heart did a somersault. ‘I’ve got an idea.’

He took us into a back room filled with boots and raincoats and six terrifying-looking rifles on a wall rack.

‘That’s enough to equip a small army,’ I gasped.

‘My uncle was a maniac,’ he said, laughing. ‘Liked to shoot anything that moved. My father’s not interested, so these days they just breed pheasants for other people to shoot. It’s a profitable business.’ He scrabbled under a bench and pulled out an old cardboard box. ‘Now, Jim-lad. Take a look at this lot.’

It took a moment to work out that this jumble of red and black fabric was a child’s pirate costume, including a tricorne hat with a skull and crossbones embroidered on it, a toy sword with a scabbard and strap, and even a moth-eaten woolly parrot that you could attach to the strap so that it seemed to sit on your shoulder.

‘You said you wanted to be pirates, Molly.’

‘Said nothing of the sort,’ I protested, embarrassed. Did he think I was that childish?

‘Okay, so you can be Peter Pan.’

‘What’s got into you?’ I said, feeling uncomfortable.