And so I did, and so we did. Clean a window. We wiped it down with old rags and the rags which were not exactly white to begin with were very soon utterly black, no matter how many newish rags we used they were soon all as black, so much night mopped up, but still so much more to go. And as I scrubbed so close beside her I listened out for those muted words, they seemed a little quieter than before, but at last I understood the first word, ‘Alec!’ I said. ‘I think it’s Alec!’

‘What did you say?’ she asked.

‘A lec,’ I said, ‘er … I like to clean windows.’

‘Idiot,’ she muttered. ‘Where’ve you been anyway? I thought you weren’t coming.’

‘I meant to be here much earlier, I really meant to, but it didn’t quite happen. Another night I’ll be much quicker.’

‘You’d better, I can’t stay up here all night waiting for you.’

‘No, no, one wouldn’t expect that.’

‘Things to do.’

‘Yes, yes,’ I said and for a while we were quiet, scrubbing along.

‘I’m sorry about your ear,’ she said at last.

‘It’s quite well now, thank you.’

‘The bell will be rung soon enough, I should go down. You’d better be quicker tomorrow. If you want me to tell you anything.’

Our hands were very filthy by then and I didn’t mind at all. We stood back to look at the glass. It looked just the same to me, though I told her that it surely was a little lighter, and she seemed glad of that. She made me promise to come back into the Sun Room during the day and see if it was at all different, and I promised her that I would.

‘Do you know that what we’re doing now,’ I said, ‘I’m really not supposed to do at all.’

‘Clean windows?’

‘Not supposed to do that either actually, but most of all, not to talk to you.’

‘Why not.’

‘Not allowed. House rule.’

‘Who said?’

‘Grandfather did.’

‘Who’s Grandfather?’

‘Umbitt Iremonger of the dustheaps.’

‘I’m one of you lot too,’ she said. ‘An Iremonger. On Mother’s side.’

‘I’m Iremonger through and through, mother and father.’

‘Then I know what that makes you.’

‘What does it?’

‘It makes you grow up to look all odd and crooked.’

That stung a bit. ‘I’m not very tall, am I?’

‘You’re a little shifty, aren’t you?’

‘For my age? I’m fifteen and a half, when I’m sixteen I have to marry.’

‘Well, good luck to you.’

‘I don’t want to marry. I’d rather not.’

‘Then say no.’

‘Can’t.’

‘Why not?’

‘Rule. Everyone marries at sixteen. Well, nearly everyone.’

‘You do like your rules, don’t you?’

‘No, I don’t. They’re just there, aren’t they, I can’t get over them.’