‘Aye, it’s not so painful now,’ he said hoarsely. ‘Got a cough, though.’ He cast a glance at the empty bed next to him where Tannerson was sitting waiting with his back to them. ‘Jim’s gone for a cool bath,’ he said in a low voice. ‘He’s had one most days. He got caught by ’full blast so they’re cooling him down and getting rid of dead skin. Is that Tannerson waiting?’

‘Yes,’ she whispered back. ‘He brought me.’

‘Did he?’ Harry was astonished. ‘That’s good of him. I think Jim’s going to be here for a long time. I heard one of ’nurses saying that he’d have died of his burns if somebody hadn’t drenched him with water.’

‘Oh.’ Ellen was horrified. ‘How lucky that someone thought to do that. And falling into ’river was what saved you, so I was told.’

‘It’s onny just coming back to me,’ Harry said vaguely. ‘I couldn’t remember owt about it to begin with, then … well, I think there was onny me and Tannerson there at first … and then I seem to recall seeing Jim … he was opening ’mill doors …’

‘When will you be able to come home, Harry?’ she interrupted anxiously. ‘Are you well enough?’

His face clouded. ‘I don’t know. I don’t know how we’re going to manage in that one room, Ellen. I need dressings changing regularly, and baths too. I’ve had several since I’ve been in here and it’s so soothing. Teks pain away, you know.’

She wanted to hold his hands, but couldn’t because of the bandages. He needed more time in hospital, she could tell. She decided not to tell him about the cottage. She’d find out about the rent: why hadn’t Henry Thorpe told her how much it would be? He must have forgotten.

But I’m going to have it, she determined. One way or another it’s going to be ours. I’ll ask Mr Tannerson if he’ll lend me a horse and wagon to move our bits of furniture and I won’t tell Harry until we’ve moved in and then he can come home and sit in ’parlour and look out of the window or by ’fireside until he’s well enough to work again.

The very thought of it filled her with such pleasurable anticipation that she felt suddenly uplifted, and Harry looked at her and said, ‘What?’

‘I didn’t say anything.’