The sisters stood glaring at each other, oblivious to their father’s quiet entrance.

‘That’s enough, you two,’ Mike growled. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Nothing, Dad,’ Georgina muttered, and began carving the meat angrily, while Kate pulled the drawer of the dresser open to get the masher.

‘Georgina, will you stop butchering the meat for a minute please and listen to me?’ He wrenched off his combat jacket and tossed it on to the ancient coat stand that stood in the corner of the kitchen. His navy wool jumper was tightly stretched across his broad frame. One of Kate’s rare attempts to use the washing machine had caused it to shrink. His dark hair was sprinkled with grey, his brown eyes sternly focused on his daughters. His skin was weather-beaten from a lifetime of outdoor work, but he had a rugged handsomeness about him that seldom failed to attract an admiring glance.

Georgina turned around to face Mike, surreptitiously glancing at her sister. Kate’s gaze never moved from the saucepan, but the throbbing temple at the side of her forehead betrayed her silent anger. She continued mashing with such force that she was in danger of putting a hole in the pot.

‘Georgina, you do far too much around here and you . . . ,’ Mike pointed to his younger daughter, ‘. . . don’t do enough.’

‘But, Dad . . .’ Kate began, swinging around to face her father.

‘Enough!’ He silenced her. ‘We’ll eat first and talk later. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starving.’ Their father ended the conversation with a definitive finality. Both girls nodded, knowing better than to argue. Kate filled glasses of water while Georgina served everybody a generous portion of dinner.

Luke breezed in from the back yard, unaware of the tense atmosphere. He rinsed his hands at the kitchen sink before taking his place at the table, and gingerly tucked into his food. Once everyone else was served, Georgina took her own plate to the table.

‘So what’s all this about turning down a chance to play for the county team?’ Mike asked Luke. His son’s coach had mentioned it the day before when they’d met at the post office.