‘Look, I have work to do,’ he said curtly, and without another word he left the room, slamming the door resoundingly behind him.

‘Damn woman!’ he muttered to himself as he headed towards the stables; yet he couldn’t help but feel a small stab of guilt. He immediately hardened his heart and a little smile played around his lips as he thought of what he was about to do. He would be away from this place for good soon and suddenly it couldn’t come quickly enough and then Sunday would have all the time in the world to spoil her darling girls!

His thoughts returned to Kathy. In truth he’d thought of little else since the night they had laid together and he had battled with his conscience, but that was behind him now. She would be just another means of getting revenge on Sunday before he left. And after all, it had been her who had almost thrown herself at him. Thinking of her taut young body made him harden and he rubbed the bulge in his trousers. Grinning, he entered the stables and began to settle the horses in their stalls. Maybe he’d wait up for her to get back.

Much later as he was relaxing in his bedroom, Ben heard a car door slam when Kathy returned from her shift and, hurrying to the window, he watched her climb out of David’s car. He had obviously given her a lift home but thankfully he pulled away as soon as Kathy entered the house. Slipping from his room he hurried down the stairs in time to see her hanging her cape on the coat stand in the hallway.

‘Oh … hello, Ben.’ She had thought everyone would be in bed and looked mildly surprised to see him.

She looked tired and slightly nervous as she peered at him. He had been avoiding her like the plague ever since the night she had told him of her feelings for him but now he was smiling.

‘I thought I heard you come in. Come through to the kitchen. I’ll make you a cup of cocoa. Your mother is in bed.’

She followed him silently into the kitchen and once he had switched the light on and placed some milk to heat on the hob, he walked across to her and began to unfasten the pins that held her cap in place.

‘I … I don’t understand,’ she whispered, but there was no time to say any more before he kissed her roughly on the mouth.

When they finally broke apart her eyes were shining. ‘Does this mean you don’t regret what happened between us?’ she dared to ask eventually. He hurried over to the stove and lifted the milk off the hob, then soundlessly took her hand and led her up the stairs to his room.