One approached her and James and she felt him tighten his grip on her arm.

‘Mornin’!’ the man greeted them, touching his cap. ‘I wonder if tha can help us. We’re looking for young William Hart, son of the ropemaker. He’s not been seen for days and his family’s right worried about him. Dost tha know him? Hast tha seen him about at all?’

‘I know him,’ said James. ‘He was a regular at the Reform meetings at the Star. I saw him at the hustings, and on Election Day. But I can’t think that I’ve seen him since.’

‘What about thee, miss? Hast tha seen him anywhere? His mother’s that upset she won’t stop crying.’

Hannah hesitated. Should she tell them where he was? Reassure them that he was safe and that no harm had come to him? She couldn’t bear to think of his mother suffering so much grief. But she’d made a promise to Mrs Hall and the landlady might get into trouble if it was revealed that she’d helped him. Besides, she didn’t know if they would have sailed yet. His parents might go to look for him, and Mary would never forgive her a second time if she found out who’d betrayed them.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said after a moment. ‘I haven’t seen him.’ And it was true, although she knew that it was a lie by omission. But she’d done it for Mary, she told herself as they walked on. She wouldn’t spoil her friend’s chance of happiness again.

Hannah had sewn herself a new frock for the wedding, hiding it away every time James called round so that he wouldn’t see it. Over it she wore her jacket and her best bonnet, with a new feather.

At five to two in the afternoon, Jennet and Titus went into the church ahead of her, with her two nieces and her mother. Her father, in his Sunday best, waited with her in the porch. He smiled at her.

‘I’m right glad tha’s found such a nice man to wed,’ he told her. ‘Tha’s done well for thyself!’

‘I know,’ she said as she peeled off her gloves. Her hands were soft and white now that she’d begun to rub them every night with lanolin. Jennet had forbidden her to do any more washing until the wedding, although she’d helped with the mending and the pressing.

Her father pulled her arm through his, patted her hand, and took her inside. James was waiting for her and his family had come over from Bolton. They were nice people, just ordinary folk, and they’d welcomed her warmly. She walked up the aisle to the altar rail where her father put her hand in James’s. He smiled at her and they turned to Mr Whittaker, who was waiting with his prayer book open to bless the plain gold band that James had bought for her to wear.

After they’d both signed the register, they walked back to Water Street. There was quite a crowd of people there and Hannah was worried that not everyone would fit into the house, especially when she saw how the table had been filled to overflowing with food by Molly and some of the other neighbours whilst they’d been in church. She needn’t have worried about there not being enough for everyone.