‘She’ll have to give up her job in service.’

‘That’s all arranged,’ Hannah told him. Neither of them revealed that she’d been dismissed. Her parents both looked so pleased that Hannah wouldn’t have spoiled their joy for the world.

‘Will tha come to the wedding?’ she asked. ‘It’ll be at the parish church once we’ve had the banns read out.’

‘Of course we’ll come,’ said her mother. ‘I wouldn’t miss it for anything, and happen our Jennet’ll let us stop the night so we don’t have to walk back in the dark.’

‘I’m sure she will,’ said Hannah. There would be room at Jennet’s once she was wed, and the thought that on that night she would be sharing a bed with her new husband made her blush at the prospect.

‘I’ll gather the last of the flowers for a posy,’ promised her mother, ‘and I’ll bring eggs and jam and we’ll have a special tea afterwards.’

Hannah hugged her mother. ‘That would be wonderful,’ she said.

‘Will tha come in when we get back?’ asked Hannah as she and James approached the outskirts of Blackburn. She felt him tense up although his expression didn’t change and he said nothing. ‘Tha’ll have to forgive him,’ she said, meaning Titus. ‘I can’t begin married life with my husband at odds with my brother-in-law. Besides, it was me that came off worst.’

‘Aye. That’s what makes me so angry,’ he said. ‘I hate the thought of you being dismissed from your job because of him.’

‘He meant well,’ Hannah told him, not for the first time.

They reached Water Street and she asked him again. ‘Come in for a bit?’

‘Aye, all right.’

Hannah pushed open the door and stepped inside, holding it open for him to follow. Jennet was doing her mending and Titus had a pamphlet on his lap and his pipe in his mouth. Bessie was playing on the rug and Peggy was busy with some knitting.

‘How were they?’ asked Jennet, getting up to fill the kettle.

‘They seemed well,’ said Hannah, taking off her bonnet. ‘They said they’ll come to the wedding. And they seemed to like James.’

‘So they should!’ Jennet smiled at him. She looked pleased that he’d come in. ‘Come and get warm,’ she said. ‘It’s turned cold.’

‘What are you reading?’ James asked Titus as he sat opposite him and Jennet drew Hannah into the back kitchen.

‘Leave ’em be for a minute,’ she advised.

‘I hope they can settle their differences,’ said Hannah.

‘Well, I think that was done as soon as James stepped through the door. He made the first move and I’m not even sure that Titus knows he were mad with him. Not that I can blame him – James, I mean. I were madder than he’ll ever be when I found out what Titus had done.’

‘He thought he was helping me.’

‘His trouble is he doesn’t think things through,’ said Jennet. ‘He just does them without considering the consequences. It makes me so angry.’