‘I thought tha were a virgin? Tha didn’t feel like one to me! Hast tha told a lie?’

Mary was alarmed by the anger in his voice. ‘I never said,’ she replied. ‘Tha’s hurtin’ me,’ she protested, trying to pull her hand free.

‘Hast tha been with other men?’ he demanded.

‘I …’ Mary was unsure what to say.

‘Hast tha?’ There was an edge to his voice that made her afraid.

‘When I were at home,’ she began, hearing her voice shaking as she spoke. ‘When I were at home Father sometimes forced himself on me.’

‘I thought tha weren’t!’ he said, getting up from the bed. ‘Nell charged me a premium for thee,’ he said, fastening his trousers and tucking in his shirt. ‘She won’t be happy when I go down and demand my money back. Tha shouldn’t have lied to her. Tha should have known tha’d be found out, or did tha think tha could just clench thy thighs and get away wi’ it?’

‘I never said …’ began Mary, but then remembered the conversation she’d had the first night she’d come, when Alice had asked if she’d ever been with a man, and she’d said no because she didn’t want to talk about what her father had done. She’d thought no more about it, but now realised that Mrs Hall must have thought she was a virgin.

‘Well, tha were all right for sixpence,’ he replied, ‘but tha weren’t worth two guineas of anyone’s money!’

The door was pulled open and closed. A draught wafted over her as she heard his steps going down the stairs. She got up and wedged the chair under the doorknob, unable to hold back her sobs. She might as well have gone home as allow this to happen to her.

Mary woke to the sound of someone pounding on her door. For a moment she couldn’t clearly remember what had happened, but the stains on the sheet when she pushed back the bedclothes reminded her.

‘I know tha’s in there! Open up!’ Mary had expected it to be Mrs Hall demanding an explanation, but it was Alice’s voice that rang out – and she sounded livid.

‘Just a minute!’ she called, wondering what was wrong. The tickle of the ribbon against her thigh reminded her that she’d neglected to follow Mrs Hall’s instructions and remove the sponge immediately afterwards. She pulled it out and put it on the washstand. She’d rinse it in a minute.

The pounding came on the door again and she pulled a shawl around her shoulders before moving the chair. The door was flung open from the other side, narrowly missing her and hitting the wall.

‘What’s thy game?’ demanded Alice, her eyes glittering with fury as she spat the words.

‘What dost tha mean?’ Mary stared at the other lass. Every inch of her seemed angry as she stood in the doorway with her eyes narrowed and a hand raised as if she was about to strike her.