‘Aw, lass, what is it? Is it the bairn? Ya shouldn’t be out here on yar own. Where’s that husband of yours? Where’s Matthew?’

Esther almost laughed – if the pain had not been so bad, she would have done – at the flurry of anxious questions.

‘Stay there, lass. I’ll go on to the Point right away and fetch Ma Harris. Now, don’t you move, lass.’

She wasn’t planning on going anywhere, she would have said, but she just nodded and bent over her throbbing belly, hugging it with her arms. Will hobbled back to his cart and pulled himself up, catching the reins and flicking them to urge his horses forward. The cart trundled past with Will’s anxious eyes upon her as he went by. The pain had subsided a little now and she was able to look up and give him a weak smile. Heartened, he slapped the reins again and drove on.

By the time Ma Harris was puffing up the lane towards the farm, Esther had managed, between the pains, to get back to the house. She paid a visit to the privy next to the wash-house and was at the back door about to go in, when she heard Mrs Harris’s voice.

‘Here I am, lass, and not afore time, by the look on ya.’

Esther thought she had never been so pleased to see Ma Harris’s toothless grin as she was at that moment. She could feel the sweat glistening on her face now, and her hands and legs seemed to be shaking. She felt Ma Harris’s firm, comforting grasp upon her arm and thankfully she leant against the older woman.

‘There, there, now, ya’ll be fine. Just do as Ah tell you, and everything’ll be fine.’

It was. The most difficult part, Esther thought afterwards, had been heaving herself up the stairs, with Ma Harris lending a helping hand from behind.

Once she was lying on the bed, propped against pillows, with the older woman taking complete charge and issuing orders, all of which Esther did her best to obey, the birth was surprisingly quick and easy.

‘Ya doing wonderful. Child-bearing hips ya’ve got, me lass. By, but you’m lucky. Push, lass, now a deep breath and push. There – good lass – that’s the head.’ Esther heard a little whimper and Ma Harris’s raucous laugh. ‘Aye, that’s it, young ’un, let us know ya coming. Now, Esther lass, wait a bit – wait a bit – now push, lass, push.’

Esther gave a little cry as her belly emptied and her child thrust its way into the world.

‘Eh, Esther lass, it’s a lovely little girl.’ Ma Harris’s capable hands wrapped the baby in a shawl. ‘No need to this one,’ she laughed above the now squalling infant. ‘She means showing ya she’s a good pair o’ lungs.’