‘No sir, I’m not,’ Harry said grimly. ‘It’s what Ellen has to do to put food on ’table. When we were living out in ’country she made her own bread and scones and cakes just as her ma had taught her; it was ’best way of stretching out my wages. Pay wasn’t as good as here, but we had ’advantage of being able to bag a rabbit or mebbe a duck sometimes, so there was allus summat simmering on ’range.

‘But we’re better off than ’folks upstairs,’ he went on. ‘Poor old lass stops in bed to keep warm cos ’hearth isn’t big enough to build up a fire. Or at least she did,’ he added thoughtfully. ‘She now spends a good deal of time in front of our fire since Ellen found out. Still, it’s better than in ’countryside where you’d sleep in ’hedge bottom if you were out of work and couldn’t afford ’rent; or being chased out of your home country cos of your religion like some other folk I know.’

Harry realized that he was talking too much. ‘I’d better get off. I’m keeping you from hearth and home, sir. Thanks very much for ’lend of hoss ’n’ cart. Hoss’ll be fed and ’wagon looked after.’

Roland Tannerson had been listening to him with his arms crossed over his chest. ‘Yes,’ he said, nodding thoughtfully. ‘I’m confident of that.’ He handed Harry the keys to the main gate. ‘Bring her in to the stable when you get back on Sunday night,’ he said. ‘You can drop your family off at home and then make sure the horse is bedded down with the others.’ He gave a sudden grin. ‘You’ll know how to do that, I expect.’

‘I reckon I haven’t forgotten,’ Harry answered, taking the keys from him, pleased that he was to be trusted with them. ‘Much obliged, sir. Thank you. My wife is cock o’ hoop that we can fetch our little Mary home.’

Tannerson nodded, and with his arms folded across his chest again watched the progress of the horse as she pulled the wagon at a spanking pace down Wincomlee. Before it disappeared from sight, he thought he heard Harry whistling a tune he had heard a time or two from his Irish granny.

Ellen had dressed the children in layers of warm clothing, with shawls and blankets to sit on and keep them warm, and tucked them into little nests of straw that Harry had brought in the wagon along with a tarpaulin in case of rain.