Leilie blinked at the light. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, and then she lifted it and opened her eyes and made a sort of bound for Polly, nearly knocking Wexford over. But she didn’t snatch Ginger. She stood trembling, looking at Polly, her hands moving slowly forward until, with an extreme gentle tenderness, they closed over and caressed the baby’s downy red-gold head.

‘Matthew,’ she said. ‘Matthew.’

The baby lay in Leilie’s lap. He had whimpered a little at first, but now he lay quiet and relaxed, gripping one of her fingers, and for the first time in their acquaintance Wexford saw him smile. It was a beautiful spontaneous smile of happiness at being home again with Mother.

‘You’re going to tell me all about it, aren’t you, Leilie?’ said Wexford.

She was transformed. He had never seen her so animated, so high-spirited. She was giggly with joy so that Matthew, sensing her mood, gurgled in response, and she hugged him again, calling him her lovely lovely sweetheart, her precious boy.

‘Come on now, Leilie,’ said Wexford, ‘you’ve got him back without the least trouble to yourself which is more than you damn’ well deserve. Now you can give an account of yourself.’

‘I don’t know where to start,’ said Leilie, giggling.

‘At the beginning, whenever that is.’

‘Well, the beginning,’ said Leilie, ‘I reckon was when Patrick, my first boy, was adopted.’ She had stopped laughing and a little of the old melancholy had come back into her face. ‘That was four years ago. Paddy went off up north and after a bit he wrote and said would I join him, and I don’t know why I said yes, I reckon I always do say yes to Paddy, and there didn’t seem anything else, there didn’t seem any future. It was all right with Paddy for a bit, and then a couple of years back he got this other girl. I sort of pretended I didn’t know about it, I thought he’d get tired of her, but he didn’t and I was lonely, I was so lonely. I didn’t know a soul up there but Paddy, not like I could talk to, and he’d go away for weeks on end. I sort of took to going out with other fellas, anyone, I didn’t care, just for the company.’ She paused, shifted Matthew on her knees. ‘When I knew I was pregnant I told Paddy I wasn’t having the baby up there, I was going home to Mum. But he said to stay and he wouldn’t see the other girl, and I did stay till after Matthew was born, and then I knew he was carrying on again so I came back here and Mum got me this flat. I know what you’re going to say, Mr Wexford!’

‘I wasn’t going to say a word.’

‘You were thinking it. So what? It’s true. I couldn’t tell you who Matthew’s father is, I don’t know. It might be Paddy, it might be one of half a dozen.’ Her expression had grown fierce. She almost glared at him. ‘And I’m glad I don’t know, I’m glad. It makes him more mine. I never went out with any other fella but Paddy till he drove me to it.’