‘Tha knows full well what I mean! Stealin’ my best customer when my back’s turned. Tha little bitch!’

She seized hold of a hank of Mary’s hair and pulled hard. Mary felt herself propelled towards the doorpost but could do nothing to stop it. Her nose took the brunt of it and she felt the warm wet blood gush out before she felt the pain of the blow. She tried to grab Alice’s hand to free her hair from her grasp, digging in her nails as she screamed for help.

She heard Mrs Hall’s heavy tread on the stairs and Alice released her. The front of her torn blouse was covered in blood and when she put her hands to her face they came away covered in it too. Pain throbbed through her head and she began to cry with the shock of it.

‘What the dickens is goin’ on here?’

‘She started it!’ accused Alice. ‘She’s been wi’ my best customer!’

‘And tha’s done this to her? Get in thy room, tha silly little madam!’ Mary heard the slap as Mrs Hall struck Alice. She heard Alice’s howl of pain and the scuffle, followed by the slamming of a door. ‘Come on,’ said Mrs Hall, taking her arm. ‘Sit thee down on t’ bed and let’s take a look at thee.’

She heard the sound of water being poured and then flinched away from the pain as Mrs Hall tried to bathe her face.

‘Keep still!’

‘Stop it!’ she pleaded. ‘It hurts too much.’

‘What happened?’

Punctuated with her sobs and moans of pain, Mary managed to blurt out what had gone on.

‘I never thought it would come to this,’ said Mrs Hall. ‘I’ve a good mind to put her out on t’ street.’ Mary heard her wring out the cloth again. ‘Here. Hold this to thy nose until it stops bleedin’. Tha’s going to have two shiners and no mistake. Tha’ll be no use to anybody until they fade. I never thought she’d take on like this,’ she continued. ‘I’ll give her a good talkin’ to. Nowt like this’ll ’appen again, I can promise thee that.’

There was no sign of Alice by the time Mary crept down the stairs. She’d heard the raised voices after Mrs Hall had called her down. She’d heard Alice’s furious footsteps coming back up to her room and the slamming of the door a few minutes later. Alice had paused and Mary had picked up the candlestick – the only weapon handy – as she tried to wedge the chair under the doorknob again so Alice couldn’t get in.

‘Tha’ll be sorry!’ Alice had shouted before her steps thumped back down the stairs and Mary had sat on the bed, shaking and terrified.

‘I’ve given her ’er marchin’ orders. Tha’ll not be bothered with her again,’ Mrs Hall said as Mary stood at the sink, hands plunged into icy cold water, peeling the potatoes for the hotpot. ‘She’s let me down has that one. Got too high and mighty for her own good.’