She dared not turn to see if he was following, because at any moment she knew that his arm could be around her neck, much as a dog might go for the throat of a lamb, and she would be brought down … brought down and strangled.

Jute, Albert Beveridge’s dog, was in the yard and he rushed towards Dora, barking loudly. Suddenly the yard was filled with people: Ellen and Edward, Nancy and Albert.

‘Mum! Oh, Mum, what’s happened? What was it?’

Dora fell into Ellen’s arms, weeping uncontrollably, while Jute, his hackles raised, stood at the gateway to the farm, barking and barking into the empty twilit lane.

Nancy, Albert and Edward could not have been kinder after Albert had telephoned the asylum to ask why Philip was out and frightening his wife in the lane, only to be told that Philip had died an hour or more ago.

‘A stroke,’ Albert said to Dora, as Nancy rubbed her back gently and plied her with sweet tea.

‘But I saw him. I know it was him.’

‘Some strange thing that I can’t explain, Dora,’ said Nancy, sensibly not attempting to give it a name, ‘but he’s gone now, love, and can’t hurt you. You’ve nowt to fear, though every reason to be sad.’

Dora mopped her face with a handkerchief while Ellen sat, stunned, unable to give words to what she thought or felt.

After a while, Nancy suggested that Tom should be told the sad news and Albert went down to the Lodge in the Land Rover to tell him and to bring him back to the farm.

‘Oh, Tom,’ was all Dora could say as she fell into his arms.

They held each other tight.

‘Let’s go and make us all another pot of tea,’ suggested Nancy, and Albert, Edward and Ellen followed her out of the sitting room, leaving Tom and Dora alone.

‘Albert told me what you think you saw,’ said Tom. ‘Oh, lass, he can’t hurt you now. He’s gone.’

‘But he was there … he was so real,’ wept Dora. ‘The Asylum can’t have made a mistake, can they?’

‘No, love. There will be no mistake. I reckon what you saw was Philip going on his way. He’ll have moved on by now. You’ll not see him again, have no fear.’

Dora shivered and he hugged her close.

After a few minutes she said, ‘I need to tell Gina, but I don’t know where she is.’ Tears started from her eyes again. ‘I wish my little girl was here,’ she wailed. ‘I can’t bear to think of her all alone and no one to tell her that her father is dead.’