While that was cooking, she washed and bathed all four children and got them into their nightgowns. ‘Later on, I’ll be leaving you with Rosie while me and Alfie go out,’ she told them.

‘Will Dad be here?’ Milly wanted to know.

‘He might be, or he might decide to go out, I don’t know, sweetheart.’ She added wryly, ‘Your dad doesn’t tell me his plans.’ Any more than he used to tell our mam, she thought angrily.

‘I don’t want him to be here.’ Georgie was honest to a fault.

‘And I don’t!’ Bertha started to cry.

‘Hey!’ Grabbing them all to her, Molly promised, ‘I won’t be gone long. Rosie will be here, and Dad will probably be going back out once he’s had his dinner.’

Little Eddie’s bottom lip began to tremble. ‘Want my mammy!’ he cried, and flung his arms round Molly’s neck.

‘No tears,’ she said, wiping them away. ‘You’re a big brave boy, aren’t you?’ She dreaded the moment she must tell them the truth.

Singing a song, she began clapping her hands, and soon they were all clapping. ‘Let’s do “Ring-a-Ring-a-Roses”,’ Bertha cried excitedly, so they all joined hands and went round and round, until Milly felt sick and they had to stop.

‘Can we stay up late?’ Georgie asked.

‘We’ll see.’ She made no promises. If their dad was in a bad mood when he got home, she’d rather they were in bed out of his way, but if he went straight out again, or didn’t come home at all, happen Rosie would let them stay down an extra hour.

By the time they had finished their meal – though Bertha only picked at hers as usual – Rosie was at the door. ‘Alfie’s washing,’ she told Molly. ‘He’ll not be too long.’

While the children played on the rug, the two women talked, and when the clock chimed seven Rosie commented, ‘Your dad’s late again.’

Molly glanced anxiously at the children. ‘I expect he’s gone down the pub for a jar,’ she said, and wished in her heart that Frank Tattersall would never set foot in this house again.

In a hushed voice she told Rosie what the children had said about not wanting him there. ‘I’m not surprised,’ Rosie answered. ‘They’re not blind and they’re not deaf. They know what goes on.’

Molly opened her heart. ‘If I had the means, I’d take them as far away from here as I could.’

Rosie shook her head. ‘Sure, you’d not be happy,’ she replied. ‘It’s not wise to move too far out of your roots, and besides, I’d miss you all, so I would.’

‘Do you think Mam will regret it?’

‘What’s that, lass?’

‘Moving out of her roots?’

‘Only time will tell.’ Rosie was philosophical about these things. ‘We shall just have to wait and see.’

When Molly began clearing away the dinner things, Rosie took the dishcloth out of her hand. ‘I’ll do that. You away and get ready.’ And she wouldn’t take no for an answer.