‘Of course not. Someone is looking after them.’ She didn’t say who; to mention her sister’s name would bring up another set of questions, and Harry was definitely confused, or perhaps, she thought, still concussed.

As they set off for home a little later, she wondered how long Harry would stay in the hospital, and also what it was that the doctor and Mr Tannerson wanted to discuss with her.

‘What am I going to do, Billy?’ she asked her brother. ‘Harry’s not going to be fit for work so I’ll have to; we have to buy food, and if we don’t pay ’rent we’ll be turned out. But how can I leave ’children? Mr Tannerson said that Harry would get his job back and be paid something whilst he’s off, but he mentioned something about an inquiry first, and it could be weeks, or months even, before ’mill can be in production again.’

‘Well, first off, you’ll have to sit down and work out your options. Harry can’t work, that’s true, but that means he’ll be at home and can keep an eye on ’bairns whilst you’re out. Mebbe you could do a few hours cleaning, early morning; or washing?’

She nodded. ‘I sometimes helped with ’washing when I worked for Mrs Hodges – when they were short-handed in ’summer, you know. Mebbe I could do that once Harry is home, as you say. But where? Nobody near where we live could afford to have somebody in to do their washing!’ She thought for a few moments. ‘Harry said there were some big houses on ’road to Beverley.’

He drew in the reins. ‘Did he? Well, tell you what. Let’s cut back and see if we can find them. If we head north’ – he lifted the whip – ‘which is that way yonder we should be able to find ’road. I’ve got an hour before setting off back home, and it shouldn’t tek us that long.’

‘Workhouse!’ she exclaimed. ‘Sculcoates workhouse is on ’Beverley road, that’s what Harry said. He said it was like a palace, so we could ask anybody and they’d be able to direct us.’

Billy grinned. ‘You had me worried for a minute, Ellen. I thought you were going to book us in!’

‘No,’ she said determinedly. ‘Never! Not while I’ve got breath in my body.’