‘We will have a busy day on tomorrow, so we will, doling that lot out,’ said Biddy as the back door crashed open. ‘Sshh,’ said Biddy, without knowing who it was she was talking to. ‘There’s a haul on and everyone has to be quiet.’

Maura appeared not to have heard her; she was carrying a bundle in her arms and the bundle was wailing. ‘Shelagh, are you still feeding?’

Shelagh stood stock-still. ‘I am. But whose baby is that, Maura? I was the last to have a baby on the streets.’

‘No you weren’t, Shelagh, Peggy was. I just found this baby girl under the bed and I think poor Peggy has lost her mind.’

The women crowded around. ‘God love her,’ Shelagh said, ‘is this all there is on her?’ She turned to Mary and Nellie. ‘Girls, would you go to my house and bring me some nappies off the airer? There’s a jam jar with pins in it on the mantelpiece and a jar of zinc and castor oil there too. There’s a couple of winceyette nighties and vests on the airer. Oh, God love her! Sshh, sshh; there, don’t you be crying, baby, we’ve got you now. And if you knock on at Mrs Keating, ask her does she have any spare matinee coats and booties. Sure, she will give you a few, for she never stops knitting.’

Her orders given, Shelagh sat down on the comfortable chair next to the fire and, without a second thought, she undid the top buttons on her blouse and placed Peggy’s crying baby to her breast. The eyes of every woman in the room met and they blessed themselves. For the first time they feared for Peggy’s life…

*

Cindy and Reg returned to their table to find it empty. ‘Oh, they’ve gone,’ said Cindy. ‘Do you think they left together or separately?’

Reg rubbed his chin. ‘Well, that’s a difficult one. What do you think? Eric lives with a harridan who scares him and half of his customers to death and she’s lived alone for the past twenty years. I think they’ve definitely gone together, Cindy.’

Cindy gasped and then she grinned. ‘Well, I hope so; it’s about time she had a bit of fun. Now, Reg, sit down, I’ve been thinking.’

Reg grinned. ‘Oh, hang on, this calls for a top-up, don’t go away.’