‘Aye. I were hopin’ to have a word with her to thank her properly for what she did.’

‘Mary!’ The tall figure of William Hart was unmistakeable as he came through the thinning crowd.

‘Damn,’ she swore softly when she saw him coming. ‘I thought I’d managed to give him the slip.’

‘Mary,’ he repeated, coming up. ‘I thought it were thee. I wondered if tha’d like to take my arm, in case tha were feeling tired.’

‘I’m all right,’ she told him, her irritation clear. ‘I’m talkin’ with my friends.’

William looked at Titus and Jennet but his face held no trace of a smile. ‘She needs someone to look out for her,’ he told them. The unspoken accusation was clear. ‘Lass like her should never have ended up in a place like the Star.’

‘I am here!’ Mary told him. ‘Tha doesn’t need to talk about me like I’m simple or summat. It were my choice to stay at the Star. It were nowt to do with anyone else, least of all thee.’

‘Lass like thee deserves a better life,’ he persisted. ‘Tha should have been able to get a proper job.’

‘Aye, well, Mr Sudell never wrote me a character,’ she replied. ‘So that weren’t going to happen.’

‘But some managed it all right,’ William said, glaring at Titus from under his thick eyebrows.

‘I’ll tell our Hannah tha were askin’ after her,’ Titus told Mary and began to walk away.

‘Will tha be all right?’ asked Jennet, not sure about leaving her.

‘Aye,’ she said as she slipped her hand through William’s arm. ‘Don’t fret about me.’

‘I will tell Hannah,’ added Jennet. ‘Happen she’ll come to see thee if she has some time off.’

She took Peggy’s hand and they hurried after Titus who was striding away with Bessie hurrying beside him. She could tell that he was annoyed.

‘He’s a rum beggar,’ she said when she caught up with him. ‘He seems to be sweet on Mary though.’

‘She could do worse.’

‘She doesn’t seem to like him very much.’

‘Can’t blame her for that,’ he replied.

‘Why dost tha not like him? I thought he were one of the Reformers?’

‘Aye. He’s started coming to meetings, but only because he fancies his chances with Mary. Anyroad, why should I like somebody as speaks to me like that?’

‘He were a bit ill-mannered,’ admitted Jennet. ‘He seems to think that what happened to Mary were our fault. Perhaps it was in a way.’

‘She has family of her own,’ said Titus. ‘Just because she were Hannah’s friend doesn’t make her our responsibility. We’ve our own to think about,’ he said.

Mary tried to hold William’s arm without really touching him, but he pulled her closer. ‘Hold tight. Tha doesn’t want to slip and fall down in this mud,’ he said.

‘I’ll be all right. Tha doesn’t need to walk all the way with me.’

‘I was going that way anyway. I’ll see thee safe back,’ he said.