She ran back towards the barn, her basket lying where she had dropped it and her heart beating nineteen to the dozen. The sight that greeted her through the barn door horrified her.

The woman was fighting for her life. She had been beaten about the head and face, her clothes were torn, and she was pressed against the wall, her arms pinned to her sides as the man brutally forced himself on her. As Fanny watched, he grabbed the woman by the scruff of the neck and with a choked cry brought his fist hard down on her temple, knocking her out.

‘Yer bugger!’ yelled Fanny. ‘Leave her be!’ She rushed into the barn. ‘You wicked bastard, you’ve killed her!’ He turned and Fanny’s heart almost stopped from the shock. ‘You! Bob Morris… Bridget’s feller!’

She saw him quickly button his trousers and walk calmly towards her. ‘If you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your mouth shut,’ he warned.

Fanny came to her senses and took to her heels. But he was too quick for her. In one great stride he had her by the throat. ‘One word to Bridget and you’ll get the same as that one.’ He gestured to the woman lying on the ground, unmoving. ‘I can be a bad enemy,’ he breathed, ‘but I know how to reward a friend.’ Nuzzling up to her ear, he made his intention very clear; the longing for a woman, any woman, was still on him.

Wriggling loose, Fanny gave him a hefty kick on the shin. He gave a yell of pain. ‘Yer a dangerous bastard,’ she cried, ‘and you’ll not get away with what you’ve done to that poor woman.’ She started running, but again he caught up with her and this time he was not so gentle.

‘I warned you,’ he growled, crossing his arm over her neck and pinning her to him. ‘I can see I’ll have to deal with you after all.’

To Fanny’s horror, she heard Billy calling. ‘Mam! Mam, where are you?’

‘Go back, son!’ she shouted, and Bob tightened his hold on her throat, almost choking her.

Suddenly the place was alive with people. From one side the farmer Jack Meaker came running towards them; another, smaller fellow was racing from another direction and a big, burly fellow had grabbed Billy by his coat collar.

‘What the devil’s going on here?’ asked the farmer, his gun at the ready. ‘Bob Morris, isn’t it? I thought you’d left the property ages since. Explain yourself, man.’

Bob did not relax his hold on Fanny and she was horrified when she heard him say, ‘My horse picked up a stone in his hoof. I was just finished getting it out when I heard an almighty scuffle going on in the barn. As I ran towards it, I heard a woman scream out for help, and just as I got to the doors, I caught this Gypsy woman running away. I’ve an idea she was poaching when your wife caught her at it.’