I had to raise it again with Pa, even if it meant adding to his burdens.

‘Have you thought any more about the plan to sell the woodland?’ I asked him after supper. In the heat, none of us had any appetite, but we’d tried hard to do justice to Mrs D’s efforts. ‘Eli is convinced Blackman wants him off the land so he can buy it and build houses on it.’

Pa gestured to the chair beside him. ‘Look, my darling, as far as I know, no one wants to build houses there. But there is a level of concern about Eli’s safety in that old hut, as he grows older. The idea is to offer him one of those new council houses instead.’ I knew what he was talking about – a new development of neat little semi-detached houses being built along the main road a couple of miles away.

I began to protest, but he silenced me with an upheld palm.

‘Listen, Eli wouldn’t even be considered for a council house unless he was actually in danger of becoming homeless. Think about it for a moment. An old boy like that can’t go on living in a hut with no water or electricity. Surely it would be for the best if he was moved into a house with all mod cons?’

I heard myself shouting now. ‘How does the church have the right to decide where Eli should live? Surely it’s up to him? He loves the woods and having all the nature around him, and he’d hate it in a house up on the main road. Doesn’t what he wants count for anything?’

‘Hold on, sweetheart,’ Pa said, startled by my outburst. ‘I think you might be getting the wrong end of the stick. We want to help.’

‘Then why doesn’t anyone actually ask Eli what he wants?’

He became thoughtful for a moment, pulling at his earlobe. ‘All right, my dearest. I will ask him. You and Jimmy could take me there. Tomorrow afternoon?’

As we came in sight of the hut, Sarge leaped to his feet, growling menacingly, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end.

Pa stopped in his tracks. ‘That animal looks as though it could eat us alive.’

‘Don’t worry, he’s perfectly friendly when you get to know him.’ I called out, ‘Good boy, Sarge. It’s only us.’

At the sound of my voice, the dog’s demeanour changed completely and his tail began to wag. Eli appeared at the doorway, doffing his moth-eaten hat. ‘Afternoon, Vicar. To what do we owe this honour? Come on up, please do. Don’t mind old Sarge. He won’t hurt a fly.’

Pa was given the honour of Eli’s best chair, while I sat on the bench and Jimmy got the milking stool next to Sarge, who loved to be petted.

‘Cuppa tea for you folks?’ Eli asked.