She heard footsteps and William Hart turned the corner. He smiled when he saw her.

‘Come in,’ she said and he ducked his head under the lintel, pulling off his cap and tucking it under his arm.

‘How’s tha feeling?’ he asked.

‘I’m all right.’

‘It’s a mess out there,’ he said. ‘We’ve had some windows put through at t’ shop and my father’s furious. I told him it were his own fault for voting Turner rather than Dr Bowring. He weren’t best pleased.’ He grinned. ‘I’ve slipped out for a bit until he calms down.’

‘I’ll just go and stir the hotpot,’ said Mrs Hall and she gave Mary a look as she passed her.

‘Dost tha want a drink?’ asked Mary.

‘Aye. Pour me a half and get one for thyself.’

Mary carried the drinks over to where he was sitting by the freshly lit fire.

‘Thank you,’ he said as he took his from her. ‘Sit down, Mary. I’ve summat to say to thee.’

‘I have work to do in the kitchen.’

‘No. Sit down.’ He was firm and insistent and although her heart had plummeted to her damp boots she perched on the edge of the chair with the untasted beer clasped in her hands. No matter what she thought, or what she felt, she had reason to be grateful to him and she’d do him the courtesy of hearing what he had to say even if it meant she would be forced to disappoint him.

‘Tha must know that I’m fond of thee,’ he began, turning his cup around and around in his hands as he spoke. ‘I know tha’s fallen on hard times and that being here isn’t entirely what tha wants. I’d like to help thee.’

‘I think tha’s helped me enough already,’ she told him. ‘It’s not that I’m ungrateful. I’d have been in the workhouse otherwise. But this isn’t the life for me. I’m sworn off men from now on. I’ve got to get myself out of here and get a proper job.’

‘Just hear me out,’ he said. ‘I really want to help thee do just that.’

‘How?’ she asked, hoping that perhaps he could offer her work.

‘I’m not short of money,’ he told her. ‘I wouldn’t say as I were rich, but I’ve enough to get by and be comfortable.’ He looked up from under his dark brows to see if she was listening. ‘I’m living at home at the moment, but there’s a house on Penny Street coming vacant and I’ve been to ask about it.’ Mary stared at him as he spoke. Was he going to offer her a house? He would want plenty in return for that. ‘It’s a nice street and I can afford the rent. It’d even give me the vote,’ he added.

‘Pity tha didn’t have it yesterday,’ she told him. ‘It might have made all the difference.’

‘Aye, it might,’ he agreed. ‘But the thing is, Mary, would tha like to live there?’