For a long moment the two women stared at each other. Esther sighed. ‘Ma – please try to understand. I – I have to go.’

‘You’re going to try and find him – Jonathan – aren’t you?’

Esther sat down suddenly at Ma’s kitchen table and laid her arms on its scrubbed surface. All her strength, all her resolve ebbed away. She felt her mouth quiver and tears spring to her eyes.

‘Oh, Ma, don’t be angry with me. Not again, please.’

Ma sat down opposite and patted her hands as they lay, trembling a little, on the table. ‘Eh, lass, dun’t tek on so. I meant no harm. I didn’t mean to upset yar, but I dun’t want to see ya hurt . . .’ She paused a moment, before adding wisely, ‘Or bring more trouble on ya’sen. Ya’d do better to forget all about him and get on with yar life.’

‘Oh, Ma, I’m hurting now. I’ve never stopped hurting since the day he went. I don’t know what’s happened to him. I’ve never heard a word of him since he walked down that road away from me.’ She flung her arm wide in a vague gesture towards the road leading to the town. ‘I’ve got to know, Ma. I’ve just got to find but. At least, I must try.’

Ma shook her head sadly, but still held Esther’s hands. ‘Eh, lass, lass,’ was all she could say, but Esther knew by the older woman’s tone that whilst she might not condone Esther’s intentions, at least she had now forgiven her enough to help her.

‘Go where?’ Will thundered. ‘Are ya daft, girl? What about ya bairn? What about little Katie? Not thinking of draggin’ her along with ya, were ya?’ It was the first time Will had ever been angry with her.

‘No, of course not, Will.’ She had never seen him so incensed. He was almost shaking, and his hands, straight down by his sides, were clenching and unclenching.

‘Oh, I see, going off an’ leaving her, are ya?’

‘Ma Harris is going to look after her . . .’

‘A fine thing, running off after a feller and leaving your child. Don’t try to deny it, girl. I’ve held me tongue these past months, but I knew what were going on. I didn’t like it, but I could feel for ya, aye, I could. But to go off and leave yar child,’ he repeated as if he could scarcely believe it possible. ‘I thought better of you, Esther.’

‘I have to go, Will.’

He flung his hand towards her in a gesture of dismissal almost. ‘Aye well, perhaps ya’d better go and get it out yar system.’ Then as another thought struck him, his frown deepened. ‘You’re not going with just the two of them, are ya?’