He shrugged. ‘Nowt. I meant nowt.’

His reply along with everything about him and not least the way his whole manner had changed from aggressive to defensive told her the unthinkable, the impossible was true. Betsy’s hand was tugging at hers and praying that most of their conversation had gone over the child’s head, Rose said, ‘Wait a minute, hinny, there’s a good girl,’ without glancing down at her daughter, her eyes fixed on Nathaniel. ‘You were working with him when he fell,’ she said in a voice that didn’t sound like hers even to herself. ‘It was just the two of you.’

The piercing blue eyes had narrowed and as he took off his cap and raked back his thick blonde hair before replacing the cap on his head, he said, ‘So? What of it?’

‘So what really happened that day?’ Already she could see his old bravado was returning and with it his composure, and while part of her was saying she must be mistaken, that what she suspected was inconceivable, she knew she wasn’t wrong. He had killed Davey, her Davey, his best friend. Fighting the nausea that came with the thought, she said again, ‘What happened? Tell me.’

He straightened, the movement impatient. ‘You know what happened.’

‘I thought I did.’

‘Well, go on thinking it then and while you do, consider what I’ve said. You’re nicely set up here and it’d be a shame to lose everything you’ve no doubt worked so hard for, one way and another.’

The double meaning wasn’t lost on her. Before she could reply, he went on, ‘You’re mine, Rose. Get used to the idea. You don’t want this major of yours to meet with a nasty accident, do you? Or the bairn maybe? It’s a bad, bad world, you know.’

‘You’re threatening me?’ Talking about Alexander and Betsy that way only confirmed she was right about Davey.

He smiled coldly. ‘I’m just saying accidents happen, as we both know only too well.’

She glared at him with such ferocity that Nathaniel was taken aback in spite of himself. ‘If you were the last man on earth I wouldn’t have you, and if you come near Betsy and me or Alexander I’ll go to the police myself and tell them everything you’ve said today. Like I said, I’ve got nothing to hide and you can do your worst regarding the miller, but just remember I’ve got Alexander and his family to back me up. Who have you got? You’re a bully at heart, you always have been and I never understood why Davey was so fond of you. He was such a good man and you, you’re scum.’

‘Don’t talk to me like that.’

‘Or what?’

‘I mean it, Rose. Don’t try my patience.’