Hubert gnawed on his lower lip for a moment. This young man seemed genuine enough and he was certainly good-looking; he could imagine the women would go down before him like ninepins, but by the same token he could well have been carrying on behind his wife’s back. ‘It would take a lot for a young lass to up and leave her home, lad, especially with a babby. You sure there was nothing in what she’d been told?’

‘Would you fool around if you had a missus like her?’

No, he wouldn’t, but then everyone was different and this fellow had an arrogance about him somehow.

‘Look, Rose and the bairn are my life. I’ve been half mad these last months.’

This time there was a definite ring of truth in what he said and Hubert felt somewhat reassured. Women were emotional creatures at the best of times and whether the lad had been messing around or not he clearly loved the lass.

‘If you’d just give me your sister’s address so I could go and talk to her, I’m sure she’d be able to tell me enough to know whether it was Rose or not. That’s all I’m asking.’

‘And you say you’ve been looking for her since she left?’

‘Aye, I’ve been to hell and back, man.’

‘Well, I have to say that a woman’s place is with her husband, and for the bairn to grow up without a da isn’t right whatever way you look at it.’ Hubert sighed. He wished he’d never picked the lass up in the first place and got involved in this.

‘I can pay you.’ Nathaniel reached into his pocket and brought out his wallet. ‘Whatever you want.’

‘Put your money away, lad. I don’t want it.’ Hubert looked into the clear blue eyes and what he saw there made him sigh again and say, ‘Look, I’ll take you to me sister’s but even if this lass turns out to be your missus – Rose, you say? – well, if it is her she didn’t say where she was bound for when she left there, all right?’

Nathaniel breathed out slowly, his relief evident, and again it caused Hubert to warm to him. It wasn’t right for a lass to leave her husband and take away his only child, whatever he’d done. Marriage vows were sacrosanct, and if every woman took off after a tiff where would the world be?

There was a fatherly edge to his voice now when he patted Nathaniel on the shoulder and said, ‘Don’t fret, lad. You’ll find them, I’m sure of it, and likely she’s regretted leaving many times and will be all the more ready to let bygones be bygones and come home. Just make sure you treat her right and reassure her about the future when you find her.’