Upstairs Kathy was prowling up and down her room like a caged animal with tears pouring down her cheeks. How could Ben do this to her? If he had only told her that he needed to get away, surely he should have known that she would have gone with him? She would have followed him to the ends of the earth if need be. But then, she tried to console herself, he would come back! Of course he would. Hadn’t she shown him how much she loved him? Nodding, she swiped the tears away with the back of her hand. All she had to do now was wait and soon he would be back where he belonged.

It was almost lunchtime when Mr Dixon returned, and Sunday knew from the grim look on his face that he was the bearer of bad news. She ushered him into the day room, it was the only room that had a fire in, and he strode towards it and stared down into the flames for a moment as if trying to pluck up the courage to speak to her. Eventually he turned and sighed before gesturing her towards a chair.

‘I think you’d better sit down,’ he told her, his voice grave. ‘I’m afraid that what I’m going to tell you is going to come as a terrible shock.’ Suddenly he wished that he were a million miles away. Sunday had gone through so much and now he was going to bring what was left of her world tumbling about her ears. ‘The thing is, my dear …’ He swallowed, making his Adam’s apple bob up and down his throat. ‘The letter you received from the bank this morning was correct. There is a mortgage on Treetops and the payments are greatly in arrears.’

Her head wagged from side to side in denial. ‘N-no, there can’t be. I’ve never mortgaged the property. Why would I?’ The stricken look on her face made him want to run but he stood his ground. The sooner this unpleasant business was out in the open the better.

‘It was Ben that took out the mortgage on it.’

Her eyes stretched so wide he feared they might pop out of their sockets. ‘B-but he couldn’t have. The house is in my name and I never signed anything.’