I turned over to face her, but I kept my eyes closed. Our breathing rhythm settled into itself. We were so used to sleeping together that we had a way of moving in harmony, even when we’d been at loggerheads all our waking hours. I could tell she was settling in to sleep by the way she clicked her jaw and sniffed. By and by, Joan’s breathing deepened, but I was wide awake. I opened my eyes and watched her face in the rush-light.

Fine to look at, but not much more than a man’s plaything. Spencer knew that, of the two sisters, I would be the easier wife. He knew I would keep his secrets locked in a safe. He knew I would not stray or be tempted by another man when he was away. He knew I was ambitious for London and would work hard to get us there.

Joan shuddered then, as if she could hear my thoughts, and her eyes flew open. ‘You’re watching me,’ she cried.

‘You woke me up,’ I said.

She tucked the blanket under her chin and fidgeted for a moment or two.

‘Did something happen between you and Spencer?’ I asked.

The blanket went very still.

‘Did you fug him?’ I went on. Now that it was out, it was out. ‘Here in this bed?’

‘Don’t be daft, hen,’ she said, but there was a catch in her voice.

‘Did he give you something to take, afterwards?’

A pause of three or four heartbeats and then she sat up.

‘Have you been looking in my scrapbook?’ she asked. I could feel her glare more than see it, so dark was the room. I did not admit such a thing, but I knew then, and she knew that I had gone peeking. But, worse, Joan had gone fugging with my husband.

‘You couldn’t just let me have my happiness, could you? You had to go and ruin my marriage when it was barely even begun.’

She burst into tears, then got up, taking her scrapbook with her, and shut the bedroom door. And I could not have cared where she went, but in fact she went through to the parlour because she was more afeared of Da than she was of me, and if she had turned up back home at midnight he would have had something to say about it and would likely have belted her for arguing with me, and then again for leaving him and Ma in the first place.