‘That wouldn’t do the family much good,’ Daisy said with a wry smile. ‘At least he keeps a roof over their heads.’

‘For how long?’ Hattie demanded. ‘If he’s as bad as you say he’ll drink all his wages, and his wife and the nippers will end up in the workhouse. I’ve seen it happen before, Daisy, and there’s nothing you can do about it.’ She stood with arms akimbo, her lips pursed. ‘You can take one of the loaves I baked this morning, but …’

‘Make sure that brute doesn’t get any.’ Daisy chuckled and kissed Hattie’s plump cheek. ‘You don’t fool me, Hattie Cribb. You’ve got a heart as soft as butter, and I will make certain that the children and their mother are fed first. Anyway, I don’t think there’ll be much left for Joe, and he probably feels too poorly to eat anyway.’

‘I hope so,’ Hattie said fervently. ‘But I don’t know what the missis will say when she finds out what’s been going on. She won’t like it, Daisy. I’ll tell you that for nothing.’

Hattie was right. Eleanora was not amused and she told Daisy so at breakfast. ‘We can’t feed the whole village,’ she said crossly. ‘I’ll do my bit with the local ladies, and some beef tea and a few cakes are not going to put us in the poorhouse, but you must stop giving food away, and I forbid you to go out in the middle of the night to deliver babies. I never heard of such a thing, Daisy.’

‘I’m sorry, Aunt Eleanora,’ Daisy said patiently. ‘But the boy was desperate and he’s Jack’s friend. I didn’t know what else to do.’

‘That’s another thing.’ Eleanora wiped her lips on a table napkin. ‘It’s high time young Jack went home to his parents.’

Daisy knew this was true, but she was fond of Jack and she would miss him. ‘Yes, Aunt.’

‘I mean it, Daisy. I’m not a mean woman but we aren’t made of money. Now that your uncle has retired from the business we have to be careful with our expenditure.’

‘I didn’t realise that money was tight.’ Daisy’s appetite suddenly deserted her and she pushed her plate away. ‘I’m a burden on you both and I should look for another position.’

‘I didn’t mean that,’ Eleanora said hastily. ‘You are family, my dear. Money doesn’t come into it.’

‘I’m a grown woman, Aunt. I need to earn my own living.’

‘Nonsense, Daisy. You are an attractive young lady. I saw the way the squire was ogling you, and he’s a great catch. If you married him you would want for nothing and, speaking selfishly, we would be assured of having the lease renewed. Your uncle apparently knew about the lease, because he handles all our financial affairs. He was confident that we could get it renewed cheaply.’

‘And you would if I agreed to marry the squire.’ Daisy met her aunt’s gaze with a straight look. ‘I love you both, but that’s asking too much.’ She rose to her feet. ‘I think it’s time I returned to London, Aunt Eleanora. I’ll stay with Toby while I look for work.’