‘She’s coming to work for you,’ said Biddy, in a no-nonsense-tolerated tone. ‘She’s seventeen now and Sister said if she had a job to go to, she could leave the convent.’

‘I never said I wanted anyone working for me!’ Malcolm protested. ‘And besides, I thought Mary was taking the veil.’

Eric watched with some amusement as more words of objection formed in Malcolm’s mind, but he was no match for Biddy.

‘She went to work for Sister in the kitchens when she left school, but they’ve given up trying to make a nun out of her. Sister was hoping Mary would take a liking to the life of a postulant and you know Deirdre was always in competition with Maura and that’s the only reason this poor girl was sent to work in the convent in the first place. Now that Maura’s gone, Deirdre has no objection to Mary taking a job that brings in money, so the Lord’s loss is our gain. The veil’s not for everyone, is it, Mary?’

Mary shook her head, obediently, her expression solemn. As far as she was concerned, Biddy removing her from the convent to work at the Seaman’s Stop had been her own salvation, a miracle indeed. Malcolm reached out to take the crate from Eric.

‘You need to get this place shipshape and Bristol fashion and I can’t keep helping the way I do. I’ve got my own job up at the hospital,’ Biddy went on.

Malcolm looked offended. ‘Biddy, I’ve managed this establishment on my own since 1945.’

Biddy was having none of it. ‘Malcolm, when was the last time you mopped under the beds? And stop making fish faces at me – you can’t answer me because you can’t remember. Time for this place to have a good spring clean and Mary has been cleaning since she could walk.’ Malcolm’s mouth opened and closed, again. ‘She has two freshly laundered pinnies with her and, if she’s a good worker, on Friday night, you will need to put fifteen shillings in her hand.’