‘I don’t have much choice, do I?’ Amber sighed. ‘This ain’t somethin’ that I’ll be able to hide for much longer.’ As she spoke, she absent-mindedly stroked her still flat stomach as Nancy chewed on her lip.

‘An’ what do yer think he’ll say?’

Amber shrugged. ‘I won’t know till I tell him, will I?’

Hearing the wobble in her friend’s voice, angry colour flowed into Nancy’s thin cheeks and she hurried across to squeeze Amber’s slim shoulders.

‘He’s a bloody disgrace, that one is,’ she said. ‘Didn’t I tell you from day one that nothin’ good’d come o’ these meetins? Why, for two pins I’d go an’ tell t’mistress what he’s been up to.’

Amber shook her head hurriedly. ‘No, you mustn’t do that, Nancy,’ she told her sharply. ‘For a start, the mistress would never believe you, an’ don’t forget, me whole family rely on the work he gives ’em. We’d all end up in t’poor house if he were to turn ’em out o’ the cottage. Not that he ever would – he loves me!’ she said quickly.

‘Huh! So you say, but we’ll see now, won’t we? An’ what are you goin’ to do if he don’t stand by you? What’ll your da say when you turn up back at home wi’ your belly full?’

Amber blinked back tears. She had wondered the same thing herself. In fact, she’d thought of nothing else for days. But then she was sure it wouldn’t come to that. Barnaby would stand by her, he had to. He’d told her often enough that he loved her, hadn’t he? And this might be just the push he needed to make him leave his wife, as he’d promised he would when the time was right. But what if he doesn’t? a niggly little voice in the back of her mind asked. Her da was a kind, gentle man and he loved his family but were he ever to discover who had fathered this baby she dreaded to think what he might do to the master if he didn’t stand by her.

‘I shan’t tell him who it were,’ she told Nancy and the girl looked horrified.

‘But you’ll have to!’

‘I’ve told you, everything is gonna be all right.’

Amber glanced at the little tin clock on the small table by the window. ‘Anyway, I’d best be off now an’ ger it over wi.’ And with that she left the room as Nancy stared worriedly after her.