‘Recently widowed. That’s why she was able to come and help me after Harry’s accident. We – well, we’ll have to make some arrangement when we move to Queen’s Road. It might be too far for her to walk to Tannerson’s mill.’

‘Perhaps she’d take lodgings nearer to Wincomlee?’

Ellen considered. It was nothing to do with Mrs Lucan, but on the other hand … ‘I was thinking that if I can get work, washing, or a scullery maid, early in a morning, Lizzie would be there to watch over ’children until I get back and then she’d go off to work. At least, that was how I’d planned it until Harry returns home. Then we’ll have to think again.’

‘Good gracious! And you said your sister was organized.’ Mrs Lucan gave a sympathetic shake of her head. ‘You’ll be exhausted.’

‘Perhaps I will be,’ Ellen agreed. ‘But whenever there’s some difficulty to get over, my mother always says Needs must when ’devil drives. And I’m inclined to agree with her.’

Mrs Lucan nodded and rose to her feet. ‘Brave ladies,’ she said, and held out her hand. ‘I’m so very pleased to have met you.’

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

When Anna heard they were moving to Queen’s Road, she immediately said that they would help with the move. ‘I will help you pack your belongings,’ she said, ‘and Filip will borrow a cart – a wagon. He will ask Mr Tannerson.’

‘I was going to ask him myself,’ Ellen said. ‘Or at least ask Lizzie to ask him if I could.’

It turned out that Lizzie had already asked him, and also if she could have the Saturday morning off so that she could help Ellen pack. It would seem, Ellen thought when Tannerson asked Lizzie if he might help in any other way, that there would be more people packing than their few belongings warranted.

‘Your sister seems to gather people about her,’ Tannerson said, perching himself on a corner of the desk which Lizzie appeared to have taken over, leaving him superfluous.

Lizzie nodded as she stacked a sheaf of papers together and tied a length of black ribbon round them. ‘These are not going to be needed, Mr Tannerson, so I’ll put them in a file on ’top shelf. Yes, she does.’

She put her fist beneath her chin. ‘I think it’s because she’s caring, and thoughtful too. She doesn’t like to think that people are having difficulties. She was like that when she was onny young. Did you know she sat with ’boy who died?’

Tannerson lowered his head. ‘You mean Jim Smith? I knew he’d died, yes. The matron at the hospital told me, and Harry said that your sister had asked if he could be buried in St Mary’s churchyard. It will be up to the vicar, of course, when the inquiry is over.’