‘So,’ he said now, looking into the sea-green eyes that had haunted him for years, ‘you going to do this the easy way or do you want me to play rough? I dunno if the law’s still looking for the woman who left Rowlands Gill mill in such a hurry and a dead man behind her, but I’m sure they’d be interested in a tip-off. What do you reckon, me fine lady? And if you go down the line, what’ll become of the bairn? Consider that. Your fancy man wouldn’t want anything to do with either of you then, you can bet on that. Wouldn’t see him for dust. An’ as you know only too well, the workhouse is no place for a little lassie, certainly not one as bonny as her. I dare say that’s where you learned your tricks, thinking about it. Am I right?’

Rose was glaring at him now, the fear that had first gripped her when he had suddenly appeared from nowhere burned up by the hate and loathing she felt. Her voice like the crack of a whip, she said, ‘Do your worst, I don’t care. I’ve got nothing to hide. If the miller is dead as you say it’s nothing to do with me.’

‘I doubt that, lass. I doubt that very much.’ His voice was still soft and low, eerily so. ‘But let’s just suppose for a minute that’s true, mud will stick if I open me mouth. You know that as well as I do. Folk’ll make the most of it and how will that affect her?’ He jerked his head at Betsy. ‘Or your fancy major and his fine family? Whereas you can quietly give him the elbow, say you’ve met someone else—’

‘You’re mad.’ Those green eyes were flashing now.

‘About you? Aye, I was once. Thought you were the be all and end all, fool that I was. But me eyes are wide open now. I’ll take you on but it’ll be me that calls the tune. I’d have married you years back, do you know that? An’ brought the bairn up as my own. But I wasn’t good enough for you, was I? Always had an eye for the main chance, haven’t you? Aye, I see it now. How long would you have stayed with Davey before you upped an’ broke his heart, eh? I reckon I did him a favour—’ He stopped abruptly, aware that he’d let his tongue run away with him.

For a moment Rose didn’t connect his last words with Davey’s accident. She might never have done so, but for Nathaniel’s expression as he broke off talking. She stared at him, and as the screaming silence lengthened, a kind of sick horror gripped her. Swallowing hard, she said, ‘What do you mean, you did Davey a favour?’