“That was Annabelle,” Rosie said, peeking over Jem’s shoulder. “She was a mutt with a bit of sheepdog in her. Herded everything, and I really do mean everything. We took her to Blackpool once, and she made all the donkeys stand in some poor bugger’s windbreak.”

“Was he in it at the time?” Jem asked, tickled pink by the idea.

“No. He’d gone to get himself an ice cream. Had a hell of a surprise when he came back.” Rosie set down a tray of tea and cake on the coffee table and crouched by the burner to stack kindling on screwed-up balls of newspaper. The fire caught slowly, egged on by a lot of creative swearing, and she blew on the stuttering flames to encourage their spread. “Grab a brew. Your toes should start to thaw in about half an hour.”

“How long have you lived here?” Jem cradled her mug in both hands, stifling a yawn. She wanted to shove her feet beneath her, snuggle under the blanket, and not move again till morning.

Rosie balanced two larger logs on top of the blaze she’d nurtured. Seeming satisfied with her efforts, she shut the burner’s door and sat beside Jem. “Three years. I’d been renting in Levenshulme, and I just got sick of the noise and the traffic and being broken into every other week. The bastards even nicked my knitting. Can you believe that? What kind of lowlife scrote pinches someone’s half-finished cardigan? Anyway, that was the last straw. I bought this as a fixer-upper. I’ve done bits of it myself, and I’m still chipping away at it.”

Jem inched her toes toward the fire, craving the warmth it had started to emit. “Crafty and handy, eh? I’m impressed.”

Rosie took a short bow. “I learned most of it from my mam. She does all the DIY at hers, because my stepdad’s bleedin’ useless at it.”

“You’re going to tell me you made this cake as well, aren’t you?” Jem said. It was a good cake, coffee and walnut, with a feather-light sponge and rich buttercream.

Rosie waved a hand, dismissing the compliment, although she looked rather smug. “I’m not one to brag, but I could certainly give you the recipe, should you want it. Bring that with you, and I’ll show you around. We can do your hair in the spare bedroom. The upstairs always warms up first.”