I stopped what I was doing. Her big deep-set eyes were pleading. ‘Will you help me? I don’t want to go to a hairdresser.’

I stepped away in horror. ‘You are joking? You want me to cut your hair?’

‘Please.’

How could I refuse when she was looking at me like that? I wanted to help her. To keep her safe. To keep the three of us safe. But I was no hairdresser. I trimmed your fringe once and made a right mess of it – it was still growing out.

‘I’ve got a box of dye too. Chocolate brown. It was the only colour they had at the corner shop. I bought it a few weeks ago, just in case. He’s less likely to recognize me with hair like that. I’ve had long blonde hair most of my life.’

My heart sank. ‘Are you sure about this?’

‘Positive.’ She stepped forward, so close I could see the faint freckles on her nose, the flecks of green in her irises. My heart fluttered. And then she reached for my hand. ‘Come on,’ she said, leading me out of the room and towards the stairs. ‘Let’s do it now before you have to pick Lolly up.’

It didn’t look too bad. Better than I’d thought it would. When I was growing up, my neighbour had been a mobile hairdresser and I used to watch, fascinated, when she cut, using her two fingers as a kind of ruler against the scissors. The style really suited Daphne’s elfin face, even if I did have to keep going back to even it out. She didn’t care, though. She seemed totally disinterested in how she looked. I understood. I was the same since leaving my old life behind. It was about survival.

But when you saw it you cried. ‘No, Daffy. Boy!’ you said to her, your little face crumpling. You always did this after I changed my hair too. Daphne looked devastated and I told you off for being rude. You ran to your room in a fit. I assured Daphne you’d get used to it. And, of course, you did.

By that weekend, the first in March, the snow had almost melted, leaving only remnants on high ground, like discarded white washing. On Saturday Daphne left the cottage for the first time in a week, more confident after changing her hair. When she returned she announced she had found another job.