They continued along Prospect Street and Ellen asked Harry to turn up Beverley Road and Harry noticed that the mare was heading that way in any case. ‘We’ve been this way before, haven’t we, Nellie?’ he said, and the mare pricked up her ears at his voice and snickered again. ‘Does Nellie know about this surprise?’ he asked Thomas, who was leaning into him, and Ellen thought he already sounded brighter than when they had left the hospital.

But a little further along he drew the horse to a halt and took a breath. ‘You’re right and I’m wrong, Ellen,’ he admitted. ‘I’m not ready yet. Will you tek over, or mebbe you could, Mr Tannerson?’

‘I’m quite happy in the back with my young friends,’ Tannerson said. ‘We’re enjoying the scenery, isn’t that so, ladies?’ He gave the girls a big wink. ‘Shall we let your mama drive?’

‘Yes!’ they chorused and Ellen climbed over Harry to take the reins as he shuffled into her seat.

‘You need to go right here,’ Harry pointed out as they reached the crossroads. ‘Nellie knows ’way from here,’ and he frowned as Ellen seemed not to have heard him. ‘I really would like to go home, such as it is.’

‘Nearly there,’ she assured him, and the children started to giggle and whisper. ‘Why don’t you close your eyes for a minute?’

‘I’ll close my eyes when I’m in bed,’ he said. ‘Ellen, where in heaven’s name are we going? I’m not ready for a tour.’

‘Home!’ Mary couldn’t contain herself any longer, and Sarah repeated, ‘Home, home, home!’ Then Thomas joined in until all three children were laughing and shouting and Tannerson put his fingers to his lips once more to quieten them.

Ellen drew up outside the cottage. The curtains were open and through them they saw the dim light of a lamp and the flickering glow of firelight.

‘Home,’ she said quietly, hoping that her decision had been the right one. ‘This is where you wanted to be, isn’t it, Harry? A place where ’children could play safely and we could have a separate bedroom.’

‘And a kitchen with an oven?’ he asked, turning towards her.

She nodded, and smiled. ‘I knew you wanted that more than anything.’ Her voice cracked as she spoke. ‘Shall we go inside and have a look? I’m sure that ’kettle will be on ’boil and supper waiting on ’table.’

He grasped her hand. ‘Have we come into money, Ellen? Because if we haven’t, how can we afford this?’