He smiled at the little girl as she entered the room. Her eyes were ablaze with curiosity, just as they had been in the forest that night. But today, she was covered from neck to toe in clothes. The gloves on her hands were lace, while a pair of yellow leggings covered her legs beneath her pink flowered dress. There was even a scarf wrapped around her neck. Her hair was long and flaxen, shadowing her face. Yet the child also wore a faint smile.

‘Well, hi there, Grace,’ Lloyd said, bending to one knee and holding out his hand.

‘Don’t touch her!’ Susan shrilled, before ushering her daughter to the settee. ‘Here.’ She picked up the remote control. ‘Choose your favourite Disney movie.’

‘Sorry,’ Susan said, as Lloyd stood. ‘You could be carrying contaminants from the outside world. If you’ve had a peanut-butter sandwich it could mean life and death for her.’ She glanced lovingly at her daughter. ‘People don’t understand, which is why we rarely go out. But I’m glad you’ve come to say hello.’ She cast her eyes around the room. ‘It gets very lonely here.’

‘How about I put you in touch with some people from the village?’ Lloyd said. ‘You don’t need to be on your own.’ His gaze fell on Grace, who was sneaking a glance at them both. ‘Neither of you do. I’m sure we can work something out.’

‘That’s so kind of you,’ Susan said, her eyes glazed with tears. It appeared he had visited when she was at breaking point.

‘Do you get out at all? How do you manage for food?’

‘Martin stocks up before he goes. Sometimes we walk around the forest at night – it’s important for her to get fresh air.’ She turned away. He heard a sniff, a shuddering sigh.

‘Are you all right?’ Lloyd said. ‘I don’t like to leave you like this. Have you any family I can call?’ He knew that her parents had passed of old age, and her only sibling, a sister, had moved away. From what he remembered, they had not been close.

‘No family, no.’ She folded her arms, her elbows jutting at right angles. Her words were spoken in a tone that suggested the subject was closed. She watched her daughter closely. A mother protective of her child.

Sliding a pencil from his belt hook, Lloyd scribbled down his home number on the back of an old card. ‘Welcome back to the community. You don’t need to be alone.’ He gazed into her eyes and saw a degree of helplessness there. ‘Is there anything I can do for you before I go?’ he said. ‘Supplies? Medication?’

‘I’ve got enough tablets to stock a pharmacy.’ Susan’s hands knotted each other as her fingers interlaced. ‘Sorry for acting strange. It’s been so long since I’ve spoken to another adult that sometimes I forget how to behave.’