They turned to look at him, and Ella noticed, at once, the sweat standing in beads on his forehead, the dark stains under his arms and down the front of his shirt, and yet the early spring day was not that warm. His face looked grey with tiredness.

‘I’ll make you some tea, Grandpa,’ Ella smiled at him and lifted the kettle from the hob and took it out into the scullery to fill it.

‘She wants to go gadding out to the pictures tonight with Rob and the Souters,’ she heard her grandmother telling him. ‘I’ve said no. There’s work to be done.’

The deep rumble of his voice answered her. ‘Let the lass have some fun Esther.’

‘Fun? Fun, you say. Just ’cos I gave in at Christmas, she reckons it’s the high life for her now. Well, she’s got another think coming. They don’t know the meaning of work, these young ’uns.’

‘You’ll lose her, Esther. You’ll drive her away—’

‘Like I drove our Lilian away, I suppose? She never lifted a hand’s turn about the farm.’

‘You worked her in other ways. Wanted her to better herself.’

‘Oh, so it’s my fault now she’s got so snooty, is it? That she looks down on all of us. We’re not good enough for our Lilian the school-marm now, a’ we? Never comes near us, does she? We could drop dead in our tracks for all she cares. ’Spect she’ll be the same.’

Coming back into the kitchen with the kettle, Ella noticed her grandfather lean his head back wearily against the wooden chair and close his eyes.

‘Who’s she? The cat’s mother?’

‘None of your sauce, Missy,’ Esther snapped back.

‘Don’t go on, Gran,’ Ella said, forcing a cheeriness, though she was worried now by the sight of her grandfather’s fatigue.

‘Don’t you be so cheeky, Missy, else . . .’

Ella placed the kettle on the fire and turned to face Esther. ‘Don’t worry, Gran. I’ll not go tonight and I’ll be up bright and early to help Grandpa tomorrow.’

‘You go out tonight, love, if you want to,’ he began.

‘It’s all right, honest, Grandpa. I’ll just nip across to Rob’s, though, so they don’t wait for me.’

She left the kitchen and was about to step out of the back door when she heard her grandfather’s voice again. She paused, listening, and then was sorry she had done so for her grandmother’s reply brought back all the hurt from years ago.

‘You’re too hard on the girl, Esther,’ he was saying. ‘She’s a good little lass, willing and helpful.’

And then came the words Ella wished she had not heard. ‘She’s a right to be,’ Esther snapped. ‘It’s not everyone of my age would take in their daughter’s bastard to bring up.’