‘I will,’ Amber promised brokenly, although as yet she had no idea what she could do. No doubt by now some of the widows whose husbands had gone down with The Neptune would be vying for any jobs that were going and they were always scarce enough as it was. Anxiety set in. It was more important than ever to find something – anything. Amber bowed her head. It felt as if her whole life had fallen apart over the last months; first with the baby and now losing her father and brothers, but she knew this wasn’t the time to give in to self-pity. Her mother needed her and somehow, although she just wanted to sit and cry, she was determined that they would get by.

*

Bright and early the very next morning, Amber set off across the frosty cobblestones to begin her job search, but by lunchtime she was chilled to the bone and thoroughly disheartened. She had even tried the local inn saying she was prepared to work behind the bar, cook, clean, anything, but the answer was always the same. There was not a job to be had anywhere and now Amber started to panic. What would become of them if she didn’t get work? A vision of the workhouse flashed before her eyes and she shuddered. But at least she could deliver the washing and ironing her mother would have ready.

Once home, she loaded it all onto an old cart the boys had made years ago, each pile safely wrapped in a clean towel, and set off up the hill to the nice houses that looked down across the harbour. How she had always dreamed of living in one of them, she thought wryly, and now she would just be grateful to be able to earn enough to keep the cottage roof over their heads.

At each house, she went to the back door where the housekeeper would check that the work was up to standard before paying her a pittance. Her mother had written her a list of where each pile was to go and halfway through the deliveries Amber was mortified to discover that her next drop-off was at Greenacres.

For a long time she stood at the end of the drive, shivering as she tried to force herself to go on. It had started to snow and it was settling fast, making it difficult to pull the cart, and she dreaded facing the staff she used to work with. But there was no other option so she clamped her teeth together and set off. At the moment her mother needed every penny she could get to survive and she couldn’t afford not to.

‘Well, bless my soul if it ain’t our Amber,’ the cook said jovially when Amber timidly tapped at the back door. ‘What brings you here, lass?’

‘I’m just deliverin’ the clean washin’ an’ ironin’ for me mam.’