‘I’ve never understood what that meant.’ Lizzie shook her head. ‘And I’ve always had difficulty getting up in a morning.’ She was silent for a moment. ‘I could stay for a bit longer, if you like?’

Ellen considered. It was nice to have Lizzie here, but it was another mouth to feed, and besides … ‘We’re in one room, Lizzie. We have to eat and sleep in here; it wouldn’t do, would it? Not with Harry here as well.’

Lizzie’s face crumpled. ‘Ah, no, of course it wouldn’t.’ She began to weep. ‘I’m so lonely at home, Ellen; and I’ll have to leave ’cottage in any case. I’ve no means to pay ’rent. I know I have to work, but what can I do? Will anybody tek me on as a widow? Most of ’employment goes to girls just out of school. I’m twenty-five! I wish I’d been born a man. I could have done so much more.’

Ellen commiserated with her sister. Right now she seemed to be rudderless, not able to cope with the loss of her husband, but Ellen knew that she was bright and intelligent; she had been good at her schooling and could have been a nursery maid or even a governess with training, but her marriage to Albert had put paid to that. Ellen had often thought that he had held back her potential, for he always had to come first, and Lizzie had forever been at his beck and call.

‘I thought I’d walk down to Tannerson’s mill,’ she said. ‘If Mr Tannerson is there I’ll ask him when Harry will be due any money, and …’ she paused, ‘I wonder …’

‘What?’ Lizzie asked.

Ellen ran her tongue around her lips. ‘Harry took some of ’horses out over Christmas time. Just to give them some exercise, you know, and I was thinking that if ’mill isn’t running I’d ask Mr Tannerson if I might do that. There was one mare that Harry took a fancy to; she took us to Holderness when we went to collect Mary. He named her Nellie, and if Mr Tannerson’s agreeable I could tek her by way of ’infirmary and go to see Harry.’

‘Oh!’ Lizzie drew in a breath. ‘Would you dare do that?’

‘What? Drive to ’infirmary?’

‘No, I know you can do that. Ask Mr Tannerson.’

Ellen stared at her sister. Lizzie had never been afraid to stand up to anyone. She had lost her spirit since marrying Albert. ‘Of course I would,’ she protested. ‘I know he’s Harry’s employer, but he’s still onny a man at ’end of the day, so why shouldn’t I? I can onny ask!’

Lizzie said that she would go with her and the children would benefit from some much-needed exercise; she was going to say ‘and fresh air’, but thought better of it. This was not the countryside, after all.