‘This was going to be the happiest day of my life,’ Adam said, in a dead voice. ‘We’d got the future all mapped out, Ruby and me.’

‘I know, lad, I know.’

‘And her, Olive, I could kill her for what she’s done.’

‘Don’t talk like that, lad. That’ll help no one.’

She followed him into the shop, unbolting the door and letting him pass her. In spite of the bitter cold the sky was high and blue and a white winter sun illuminated the snowy rooftops and pavements, promising that spring was round the corner. It was a perfect day for a wedding.

Adam stepped down onto the icy pavement and then turned to look at her as he said, ‘Can it be right to stand before God and promise to love someone you hate with every fibre of your being, Mrs Walton? Because that’s what I’ll be doing, sure enough. But like you pointed out, I have no choice, do I.’

‘Oh, lad.’ His face now wore a closed, hard look and she realized that somewhere in the last hour or so while he had been with her he had become resigned to his fate. For a moment she almost retracted her words, almost told him to go and find his Ruby and try one last time, but what good would that do? Ruby’s mind was made up and besides, there was the bairn. A bairn born out of wedlock would suffer for the sins of the mother round these parts; it would be made to feel shame and humiliation from the time it was out of nappies. The most vicious and determined predators in the animal kingdom didn’t have a patch on human beings when they got going, especially some of the housewives hereabouts. And so she remained silent, and after a moment he walked away, towards a marriage made in hell, Vera told herself wretchedly, but then what could she do? What would be, would be.

Adam stood in Cissy’s kitchen facing his future father-in-law. Earlier that morning when he had called asking to see Ruby, George hadn’t been up and it had just been Cissy stirring a pan of porridge at the range. Now it was George who said, ‘What do you mean, Ruby’s gone? Gone where? Not left Sunderland?’

Adam nodded. ‘First thing this morning.’

Cissy gave a little cry. ‘No, she wouldn’t just disappear without saying goodbye.’ Yanking off her pinny she threw it on a chair as she said, ‘Mrs Walton knows where she is sure enough. I’ll stay there till I get it out of her.’

‘She doesn’t. I was there for some time and she told me herself she’d begged Ruby to have her spare room but Ruby wouldn’t be persuaded. She’s gone and Ellie with her.’