Mr Heartfelt could see Frank’s unwavering gaze, his disconcerting eyes, watching every gesture. Yes, this was definitely the part he hated; he much preferred to use letters and his brother-in-law the bailiff but he had to press on.

‘Mrs Nolan, you are now into your fourth week of arrears and I have noted from the clocking-in sheets that your husband has not worked a full week for six months. This concerns me. Under normal circumstances, Mrs Doherty would be with you and I would be very willing to accept a payment plan, as I have in the past.’

Peggy looked so drained of colour he realised that she had moved beyond taking in anything he was saying. He pulled a sheet of paper out of his folder. ‘It does clearly state on the back of the rent book that, if you are more than two weeks in arrears, you have to present yourself at the administration building for an appointment to discuss matters. You haven’t been anywhere near.’

Peggy felt as though the world were spinning. She looked at Mr Heartfelt; she could make out the movement of his lips, but could no longer hear the words he was saying. She couldn’t breathe and the pounding in her ears moved into her head and beat against the sides of her brain while the pain around her lower back and across her abdomen was sickening in its increasing intensity. She needed two Anadin, she had forgotten to ask Kathleen. He held out another brown envelope towards her.

‘Mrs Nolan, please accept this letter as your notification of eviction. It is the dock board policy to give you a further seven days’ notice. If the rent isn’t paid within that time, the property must be emptied within forty-eight hours. If not, the bailiffs will be on your doorstep at 10 a.m. on Friday the twentieth of May. They will board the house and seize whatever is left inside. I suggest you go straight from here and visit the Liverpool Corporation offices in search of help. They will contact the Salvation Army to ask for temporary accommodation for you and your family; please note, it may be that you are not accommodated together.’ He was reading from the letter he would have sent, but he might as well have been talking to himself.

‘You then need to make your way to the Giro office in Bootle and tell them you have no access to money or accommodation and, finally, I will telephone children’s welfare this morning. I have already made enquiries and am aware you have young children who may have to be taken into care.’

Peggy felt as though she had been punched in the face a hundred times. Surely this could not be happening? ‘My husband – my husband – if we aren’t in the house, he can’t get down to the docks to work… he can’t do anything else.’