“That’s wickedly unfair-”

“Good God, what a household for my son to grow up in! All I can say is the sooner I remove him from your pernicious influence, the better.”

He stopped because he could see he’d lost her attention. Norah was staring over his shoulder at the doorway. Turning, Gavin saw Peter standing there in pajamas. His heart was suddenly full of joy and relief. What did anything else matter beside the reunion with his beloved son?

“Hallo, son,” he said gently, holding out his arms.

But Peter didn’t run into them as he should have done. Instead he stared at Gavin with wide, dismayed eyes, before rushing past him to Norah. Gavin watched, incredulous, as Peter flung himself into Norah’s arms and buried his face against her. He noticed how her arms closed protectively around the child. The two of them stayed locked together for several seconds.

“Your father came to see you, darling,” Norah whispered. “You should at least say hallo to him.”

But Peter refused to turn around, and Gavin thought he heard a muffled cry of, “No! No!”

“Everything’s happened a bit suddenly for him,” she explained apologetically to Gavin.

“Thank you, I don’t need my son explained to me,” he said coolly. “It’s quite clear what has happened. You mentioned a room. I’d be glad of the chance to settle in.”

“Of course.” Norah gave her attention back to Peter. “Darling, I want you to go outside and see if everything’s all right. Some of the animals are a bit unsettled. Calm them down, the way you do.”

“Do they know?” the boy choked.

“Yes,” she said quietly. “I think they know. I believe some of them may have known before we did. Go on, now.”

The boy scuttled out without looking at Gavin, who turned furious eyes on Norah. “It’s as well I came when I did-filling my son’s head up with that kind of tomfoolery. Knew before we did! I never heard anything like that.”