Ellen’s heart swelled with love for them. ‘What I thought we’d do,’ she whispered conspiratorially, ‘we’ll move whilst he’s still in hospital and get everything ready for him; then, when he’s ready to come home, we’ll go and fetch him and he’ll say Why are we going this way? This isn’t ’way to go home! ’

She hadn’t worked out the logistics of getting Harry to the new house, but she would think of that later, just as she would think of how to pay the rent.

The children all clapped their hands in glee, including Thomas, who didn’t really understand what she meant.

‘It’ll be a proper secret surprise,’ Sarah said. ‘So we mustn’t tell him.’

‘No, we won’t. And we’ll ask him to guess where we’re going,’ Mary added.

‘Yes, and I’ll tell him,’ Thomas piped up. ‘It’ll be a big surprise. What is a surprise? Is it cake?’

Ellen picked him up and hugged him. Her toddler was growing up. ‘It might be cake,’ she said, laughing, and put him down as someone knocked on the front door.

It was Anna with her children. ‘I came to tell you that Filip is going to a meeting for Mr Tannerson and he is borrowing his, erm, how you say, small cart? And he say he will take you to hospital on the way if you can walk home.’

‘Today?’ Ellen said. ‘But I can’t take ’children with me.’

‘This I know; that is why I come. I am not working every day now Filip has some work. He hope to get soon – I don’t know the word, but money in front? I will – no, I have come to take children back with me. We will make cake,’ she told the children and they all said, ‘Yes!’

‘It’s a surprise!’ Thomas cheered and jumped up and down. ‘For me!’

‘Come then, get your coats,’ Anna said, ‘and we will go now.’

‘Thank you,’ Ellen said gratefully. ‘I was hoping to visit Harry when Lizzie gets back. She’s gone to see Mr Tannerson. She’s hoping he’ll give her a job too. In the office.’

‘Oh!’ Anna said. ‘He is very good man. He gives us all work.’

‘He is,’ Ellen agreed. ‘Anna – he took me to see a cottage yesterday; we can have it if we can afford ’rent. I’m hoping to find out how much it will be later today, but I’m not telling Harry in case it doesn’t happen.’ She clasped her hands together. ‘It’ll be the answer to our prayers. Harry will be able to rest and recover and I’ll be able to work whilst he stays with ’children until he’s ready to go back to ’mill.’