Cissie read it quickly before passing it to George who scratched his head. ‘But this house hasn’t had a mortgage on it in all the years I’ve lived here,’ he said bewildered.

‘Quite!’ Sunday was angry now. ‘So there’s clearly been a terrible mistake. I shall go into the bank this very day and give them a piece of my mind!’

She had no time to say more for at that moment the doorbell rang and Cissie went to answer it. ‘It’s Mr Dixon,’ she informed Sunday when she came back. ‘I’ve shown him into the day room so make sure as you take that with you to show him.’

Sunday nodded and with the letter clutched in her hand she went to join their visitor, while Cissie set about preparing a tray of tea for them.

‘William, thank you so much for coming so quickly,’ she greeted him. ‘I’m afraid I desperately need your advice …’ She hurried on to tell him about Ben’s disappearance, the empty safe and bank account, then she handed him the letter. By the time he had finished reading it he was frowning.

‘I’m afraid this doesn’t look like a mistake to me,’ he told her worriedly. ‘Are you quite sure Tom didn’t take out a mortgage on the place before he died?’

‘No, of course he didn’t. Tom would never have done something like that without consulting me! And anyway, there was no need to. The stables are doing well and with what you have invested in stocks and shares for us we’re very financially comfortable.’

She was so wound up that she failed to notice the look of dismay that flitted across his face before he stood abruptly. ‘I’m going to go back into town immediately and try to get to the bottom of this,’ he informed her. ‘Try not to worry, my dear. I shall be back as soon as I possibly can.’

He left just as Cissie was carrying the tray into the room and frowning she asked, ‘Where’s he off to in such a rush? Anyone would think ’is tail were on fire the way he dashed out.’

‘He’s gone to the bank to try to get to the bottom of this mortgage business.’

‘Oh, then in that case we’d better drink this, it’s a shame fer it to go to waste,’ Cissie said stoically and Sunday gave a weak smile for the first time that morning. The world might be crashing about her ears but dear Cissie would never refuse a cuppa!