‘You needn’t worry about me, Mrs Randell,’ the girl said; she’d quite obviously caught the look of censure that Ellen had given her brother. ‘My ma and da know I’m here wi’ Billy and that he’s come to see his sister and brother-in-law.’ She gave a huge smile. ‘My da’s already threatened what he’ll do to him if he does anything amiss. But I can do as I like,’ she added. ‘I’m of age.’

Billy gave a whimsical grin as he glanced at them both. ‘I wanted Florence to meet my littlest sister, and maybe Lizzie too; where is she?’

‘She’ll be here before long. Did you know she’s working? She’s office manager to Mr Tannerson and she’s had to go in this morning for an hour; something important that she said she had to do.’

Billy didn’t know and expressed surprise. ‘I’m pleased to hear it,’ he said. ‘She’d got very morose after Albert died. Anyway, ’reason I came was to visit Harry and I thought you’d like to come along, but clearly not.’

‘Don’t tell him we’re moving, will you, Billy?’ she reminded him. ‘I’m fetching him home tomorrow in any case and it’s going to be a big surprise. I’ve told ’children and they can’t wait to see him. Anna’s made a cake for him; she works for a baker who lets her use her oven.’

‘Oh, my, Ellen!’ Billy gave her another squeeze. ‘Things are looking up at last. So where is this new cottage? Mebbe we could have a look at it on ’way to hospital.’

‘You can,’ she agreed, ‘except it’s not new, except to us. It’s a very old one.’ She told him where to find it. ‘It’s not quite country,’ she explained. ‘Not as we’d know it. But you can see that it has been at one time, and it leads on towards a park though I haven’t seen it yet. It’ll be somewhere for ’bairns to play when summer comes.’

‘We’ll get off then,’ he said. ‘Don’t want to hold you up, unless there’s owt I can do?’

‘Oh, wait and see Lizzie,’ she begged. ‘She’ll be so disappointed if she misses you.’

He pondered for only a minute and then nodded. ‘She’ll not be coming back to Holderness then, not if she’s got a permanent job?’

Ellen heard a rattle outside and pointed to the window. ‘That might be her now with Mr Tannerson.’

‘What? He brings her home from work!’

‘Not usually,’ she laughed. ‘But today he will. He knows it’s a special day and that I want everything to be just right for Harry.’

‘How will Harry feel, not being here to help?’ Billy asked astutely.