‘He could have withdrawn,’ Dee said, raising her eyebrow, adding, ‘Oh, never mind. That never worked. What are you going to do? Only…’ She paused, rubbed her nail against the rim of the mug. ‘I don’t think you could stay here. We don’t have room, and I don’t think Kev would approve. Bad example to the kids, and the neighbours, you know, gossip.’

‘Kevin? He’s a fine one to talk. He got you in the family way.’

‘But he married me, before I showed,’ Dee said. ‘You’ll have to marry John.’

Betty screwed her eyes tight, shook her head. ‘I don’t want him to marry me if he doesn’t love me. I can’t think of anything worse.’

She’d rather live in purgatory than with a man who felt trapped by her.

Betty stared into her mug, at the tea leaf floating on the top. ‘What shall I do?’

‘I don’t know,’ Dee said. ‘Does John know?’

Betty shook her head.

‘Are you going to tell him?’

She looked up at Dee. ‘No.’

‘Don’t you think he has a right to know?’

She raised her shoulders. ‘Why? He doesn’t care. Obviously. He wouldn’t have ditched me otherwise.’

‘Bets.’ Dee put her mug aside and reached over for Betty’s hands. ‘He might change his mind when he knows.’

‘And what difference would that make? If he doesn’t love me, he doesn’t love me.’

‘So what are you going to do?’

‘I don’t know,’ Betty said, pulling her hand free. ‘I don’t want his baby.’

Dee sipped her tea, both hands cradling the mug, elbows on the table. ‘Have you thought about adoption?’

Betty nodded. ‘I can’t be pregnant. I’d lose my job. Then what would I do? And where would I go if I can’t stay here?’ She shook her head. ‘I’m not going to some mother and baby home run by a bunch of sadistic nuns.’ She took a gulp of tea. It was lukewarm.

‘I don’t think you have any choice, Bets.’

‘Perhaps I could get rid of it,’ she said. ‘Can you help?’ She had no alternative but to say it.

Dee’s forehead furrowed. She was cross. Or shocked. Betty had forgotten. Dee still went to church, dragged the boys there every Sunday. Graham even served at Mass. She should never have asked her.

‘How do you think I can possibly help?’

Betty hesitated for a moment. She knew what she was about to say would be hurtful. ‘You’re a nurse,’ she said. ‘Don’t nurses know these things?’

‘That’s a shocking thing to say,’ Dee said. ‘Who do you think we are?’

‘I’m sorry,’ Betty said. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you. I just thought, you know, midwives, I mean, they must know things?’