‘It’s my contribution to the family,’ Gittins said, shaking his head. ‘I know Hilda well and she’s as honest as the day is long, and a hard worker. Unlike that husband of hers. She’s better off without him, in my opinion. He was a wastrel and a drunk, and that’s why the family are in such a sorry state.’

‘Thank you, Mr Gittins. I’m very grateful.’

‘Your uncle did me many a good turn in the past, Daisy. Give him my regards when you next see him.’

‘I most certainly will.’ Daisy left the shop trailed by young Bob, who hefted the coal onto his shoulder as if it had been a sack of feathers. When they arrived at the Beggs’ house he carried it inside and set it down by the empty grate.

‘Shall I get a blaze going for you, miss? I’m good at lighting fires.’

Daisy placed her purchases on the table. ‘Yes, Bob. Thank you.’ She lit two candles and began to unpack the food with the children already seated at the table, their eyes wide open and their small fingers twitching with eagerness to snatch the smallest crumb. Judy sliced and buttered the bread and shaved off pieces of cheese, making sure that each of the children had their fair share, while Daisy filled cups with milk from the jug she had borrowed from Mr Gittins.

Bob stood back, admiring the fire he had managed to get going so that flames roared up the chimney. ‘I done a good job, even if I says so meself.’

‘Yes, that’s excellent.’ Daisy handed him the empty jug. ‘Would you be kind enough to take this back to the shop? And thank you for your trouble. I’d give you a tip but I haven’t got a penny left. Next time I see you I’ll make up for it.’

Bob touched his cap. ‘Don’t worry, miss. Glad to help. I’d best get going or Pa will wonder what’s happened to me.’

‘Yes, of course,’ Daisy said hastily. ‘And thank him again. The children look better already.’

Daisy sat with the children long after Bob had left. The way the food was disappearing was a testament to how little they had eaten for a day or more, and the poverty in which they were living was all too obvious. The light from the newly lit candles and the cheerful crackling of the fire only succeeded in making the surroundings look even more desolate. The bare boards were rotten in places and stained, despite Hilda’s obvious attempts to scrub them clean. A bedstead in one corner of the room seemed to suffice for all the family and the bedding looked as though it needed a good wash. As the room heated up Daisy became aware of a foul stench and she discovered an overflowing chamber pot that had been pushed under the bed. She took it out into the back yard to dispose of the contents and rinsed it under the pump before hurrying back indoors to check on the children, but she need not have worried. Judy was in the process of putting the little ones into their tattered nightgowns, although giving them a wash seemed out of the question and hardly relevant considering the general state of the room. Daisy helped Judy to put the small children to bed, and she stoked the fire. ‘I think it’s time you got some sleep, Judy,’ she said gently.