Peggy peered through the gloom and knew straight away that the voice belonged to a woman of the night. A professional, who knew what she was doing and seemed none too pleased to see Peggy invading her patch. She wondered should she retrace her steps and go back home. Maybe she should take what money she had left from the pawnshop and throw herself on Mr Heartfelt’s mercy… Even as the thought entered her mind, she knew it was useless, she had no time. They would be turfed out by the bailiffs and the door would be locked and boarded up behind them so that they couldn’t possibly return and everyone would know. No, she had nowhere to go and every day the problems piled higher and higher. If she didn’t drown in the Mersey, she would do so under the weight of despair – surely this was better for the kids? Mr Heartfelt would never be so mean as to turn her children out onto the street after their mother drowned. This way, she would be so much more use to all of them. A cold, watery grave for Peggy would give her family a reprieve and then, surely, big Paddy would realise that he had to work, for the kids would be his responsibility.

Turning from the woman with the unfriendly stare, Peggy looked towards the dark, uninviting water which lapped against the edge of the dock. It would only take one minute and then she would know nothing. There would be no more shame, no more trying so hard and always failing. It would be a sin, but could eternal damnation be worse than how she felt right now? How could she take a newborn baby out onto the street? She took a step towards the water, could hear the distant sound of men’s voices from somewhere inside the ships.

‘Oi! I said, come over here!’

Peggy had never been a woman who was easily intimidated and yet now she felt herself begin to tremble with fear. She decided to approach the woman, to tell her it was a mistake and that she was sorry, that she would be leaving, that it was all a mistake, that there was no point and she knew what it was she had to do. She would move along the dock and find a quiet spot where no one would disturb her…