That reminded Ellen that Dr Selby had given her the name of a Hull doctor, but she couldn’t remember where she had put the slip of paper with the name on it. I must make that a priority when I get back, not only in case the children are ill, but for Harry and me too. Later, as she made up her bed on the palliasse next to the children’s bed, she thought that she must send Lizzie a letter and wish her husband a swift recovery.

It was only a short visit, but Ellen was pleased that she had made it to bring Mary home again. She hadn’t seen any of her sisters, nor her eldest brother Gilbert and his family, but the next morning she gave Billy strict instructions to tell them that she hoped to see them in the spring, when they would come again if at all possible.

‘Harry’s going to look for another house,’ she told Billy as he began loading the sacks of wood into the wagon. ‘We can’t stay in the present one for much longer. We need a separate bedroom, and it would be nice to have an oven to bake my own bread.’

Billy nodded as he listened, and although Ellen didn’t say, and he wouldn’t dream of broaching the subject either, he thought how difficult it would be for a woman to give birth in a one-roomed house without any privacy.

‘I caught a couple of codling off ’beach yesterday,’ he told her. ‘Ma’s got them in ’larder if you’d like to tek them back wi’ you. They’ll mek two nice dinners.’

‘Oh, that would be lovely, if Ma doesn’t want them.’

‘I’ll catch more,’ he said. ‘They’re practically jumping out of ’sea into ’fish basket.’

‘Oh, well then!’ She smiled. ‘But be careful down ’cliff, won’t you, Billy? They’ll be crumbling fast seeing as it’s been so wet.’

‘Are you telling me summat I don’t know, Ellen?’ He laughed. ‘You’re as bad as Ma. I’ve been scaling these cliffs and fishing these waters since I was a seven-year-old.’

‘I know,’ she said sheepishly. ‘But still …’

He pulled on the single plait that was hanging down her back. ‘Go on wi’ you, talk to Ma, and I’ll finish loading up this firewood. There’s mainly ash here, which will burn well, and I’ve put some apple wood in as well. If you cook ’fish on this it’ll give them a nice flavour – and give your neighbour upstairs less to complain about.’

Ellen chuckled. She hadn’t thought of that when accepting the fish. Perhaps if she invited Edyta and her mother for a fish supper they wouldn’t notice the smell quite so much.