Pa was about to refuse, but I jumped in. ‘Yes, please.’ With Eli, I’d already come to learn, the gentle formalities of hospitality must always be followed before he could feel at ease.

Mugs in hand, and with Jimmy now happily munching on a biscuit and sharing a few crumbs with Sarge, we exchanged pleasantries about the weather – ‘too ruddy hot’ – and the beauty of the woods – ‘some of these trees’ve been here hundreds of years, Vicar. Make you wonder what they’ve seen, don’t it?’

After a few minutes Pa seemed to decide that the time was right. ‘So you live here all year round, Eli?’

‘Oh yes, sir. I loves it here. Been here near ten year, since me old cottage got bombed.’

‘I’m so sorry. And that was the night your wife died, too?’

‘A bad night, it was.’ Eli shook his head and then took his pipe out of his pocket. He offered the tobacco pouch to Pa. ‘Smoke, Vicar?’

‘Not for me, thanks.’

We waited as Eli filled and lit his pipe, puffed it into life and sat back, as I’d seen him do so many times before.

‘Was there no chance of saving the cottage?’

‘Nah, it’d cost too much to rebuild. So oi come down here.’

‘Don’t you get cold in the winter?’

‘I’ve got me little stove, and there’s plenty of wood around.’ He waved his arm expansively. ‘And there’s the old mutt to cuddle up with.’

‘It must be tough, though. Wouldn’t you prefer a nice house, if we could find you one?’

Eli’s reaction was sudden and frightening. He put down his cup with a clunk and his whole body seemed to tense, the sinews on his neck standing out. Sarge stood up, ears pricked, and gave a low rumbling growl. After a few moments Eli appeared to steady himself. He relit his pipe with a trembling hand and took a few long draws on it.

‘Forgive me asking, but is it that Mr Blackman what sent you here, Vicar?’

‘No, it was me,’ I jumped in. ‘I asked Pa to come. They’re putting your name forward for one of those new council houses up at the top.’

‘I knows all about that, thank you very much,’ he said. ‘I don’t want it, and that’s that. But that bast— Sorry to swear, Vicar, but that man is the very devil, spreading poison through our village. He ’ont take no for an answer.’

Eli rose to his feet and disappeared into the hut, returning with the box-file marked ‘Land’, opened it and took out a sheaf of letters, at least twenty.

‘Look at this lot, sir. All from that man and his solicitor fella. Sayin’ that if I don’t get out, they’ll get the bailiffs onter me.’