He scowled. ‘I’m quite sure the rest of the family will not approve,’ he pointed out yet again. ‘We’ve been brought up as family and I think your mum will be shocked.’

‘So?’ She tossed her head defiantly. ‘It’s not up to my mum who I fall in love with, is it? She’ll just have to get used to the idea.’

‘Let’s see how things go for a time,’ Ben responded, then he went about his business as if she wasn’t even there, leaving her to quietly fume.

Chapter Nine

Sunday spent an uneventful and quiet Christmas and New Year at home with her family. Cissie and George had gone to spend it with their youngest daughter and her family who lived in a small village on the outskirts of Leicester. George was still far from well following a severe dose of bronchitis and as a result the majority of the stable work was still falling to Ben, although in fairness he never complained. As Sunday ruefully commented to Livvy, it seemed the only time he was happy was when he was with the horses. For the rest of the time he was still walking about like a bear with a sore head. In fact, she was becoming increasingly concerned about him but the closer she tried to get to him the further away he seemed to push her, until eventually she just kept her distance.

And then on a wet and windy morning towards the end of January he didn’t come down for breakfast. At first, she thought he was over in the stables so when Kathy and Livvy had left for work she hurried over there, only to find there was no sign of him.

‘It’s unlike Ben to lie in,’ she commented to Cissie when she raced back into the kitchen out of the blistering rain. ‘I hope he’s not ill.’

‘Pour yourself a cuppa an’ I’ll pop up an’ give him a knock,’ Cissie volunteered.

Minutes later she barged back into the kitchen, her face as white as chalk. ‘He ain’t there,’ she panted breathlessly.

‘What do you mean?’ Bemused, Sunday stared at her.

‘Just what I say – he ain’t there. His bed ain’t been slept in an’ all his stuff has gone out o’ the wardrobe.’

Sunday shook her head. ‘So where is he then?’

‘Beats me,’ Cissie answered. ‘Did you see him last night?’

Sunday tried to think. ‘Not after nine o’ clock. I had a slight headache, so I had an early night and he was in the kitchen when I went up.’

‘He must have gone off sometime in the night then, when we were all abed.’

The two women stared at each other, confused.