William was watching her, waiting for an answer.

‘What work will tha get?’ she asked.

‘Same as now. Ropemaking. There’s more and more mills opening over there and they all need workers.’

Perhaps John could go with them, she thought. Nobody there would even need to know that he’d been in prison. He might be able to get a job where he could use his numbers.

‘Do the tickets cost a lot?’ she asked, wondering if she could find the money from somewhere. Perhaps she could sell the dresses and bonnets that Mr Starkie had given her.

‘Tha doesn’t need to worry about that,’ said William. ‘I’ll pay thy passage. I’ve a bit put by.’

‘I was wondering if our John could come,’ she said. If there was work to be had in America she could save up to pay William back, she thought. In fact, it struck her that if she was able to get work that paid enough to keep herself she might not have to go through with a marriage at all. Perhaps she and John could make a new life together.

‘John?’

‘My little brother,’ she told him. ‘He were at the house that day.’ William looked doubtful. Mary knew that he wanted it to be just the two of them and it was hard to explain that she felt responsible for her brother. ‘A fresh start could be the makin’ of ’im,’ she said. ‘He fell in with a bad lad and got into a bit o’ trouble. He’ll never be given the chance to make owt of himself in this town.’

William frowned. ‘I were thinking of it just being me and thee.’

‘I’ll not go without John,’ she told him, trying to force his hand even though she could see Mrs Hall shaking her head at her.

William bit his lip, but Mary held out, her expression firm.

‘All right,’ he said after a moment. ‘If it means that much to thee then John can come with us.’

That afternoon, Mary went up to Thunder Alley to look for her brother. He was in one of the stalls, rubbing down a steaming horse that had come in from the mail coach. He looked smart in his new clothes. They were good quality and although the trousers were a little thin at the knees the jacket hadn’t been patched at all and should last him for a while.

‘Dost tha fancy going to America?’ she asked him.

‘Where?’

‘America!’

He paused and stared at her as if she’d taken leave of her senses. ‘I can’t say as I’ve ever thought about it,’ he said as he threw a rug over the horse’s back and patted its neck.

‘I might be able to get thee passage on a ship.’

‘Why would tha do that?’ He looked hurt, as if he thought she wanted to get rid of him.

‘Not just thee,’ she said, glancing over her shoulder to check no one was listening. William had warned her not to say a word to anyone. He didn’t want his parents to get wind of his plans because he knew that they’d try to stop him. She pulled on John’s sleeve and led him to the back of the stall. ‘William Hart has asked me to go to America with him. He said we could take thee an’ all, but tha mustn’t breathe a word of it to anyone.’