Peg turned, shaking her head. ‘Would you believe her! Stravaigin’ up and down dale for all to see the size of her. It’s a good job she’s a willow wand or she’d never get her figure back. In my day you wore a cloak and went out at dusk. Modern women have no shame!’

Alec looked at her sideways, whispering, ‘We was awful sorry about the bad news. Still, it’s no the size of the dog in a fight but the fight in the dog. Netta was aye a brave wee bairn and she didna come up the river Fleet on a biscuit tin, Mistress Nichols. She’ll earn her own keep.’

‘With her big ideas, she’ll have to! You don’t know the half of it, Alec Kerr. The stuff she’s made for this bairn: nightgowns, barricoats, spencers, knitted bonnets, shawls. Where she got the terry towelling napkins and muslin liners from… I don’t hold with all that spending afore a birth. It’s tempting fate. She could have got the necessaries from you… I dare say you would have given her extra, for old times’ sake?’ Peg sniffed, staring at the old man with a frown.

‘No, she did right to get it where she could,’ he said solemnly. It’s no that easy to for us to get hold of quality goods and getting worse all the time. I had tae make up a bride’s costume for a young wife in Dumfries… Could I get her the colour she wanted? In the end the poor soul took what I brought from the warehouse: a linen dress in rust with box pleats and appliquéd pockets. Not her colours at all but when there’s a war on… Will Mr Nichol be long? Only I have an appointment at McQuirter’s at noon.’ Wee Alec was anxious to be on his way now the courtesies had all been observed, as usual.

‘You’ll no get much out of them the day, not now Billy’s gone west. Old man McQuirter spends most of the day in the King’s Head and his wife in the Catholic Chapel, so I’m told,’ sniffed Peg.

‘Aye, well, drinking and praying tame the strongest grief, they say. If there’s anything Netta’ll be needing,’ Alec collected his bags, ‘I’ll see myself out and go and meet her.’

Once the farewells were over Peg slumped at the stone sink. She could feel the tension mounting whenever Netta came into view. Why had they never taken to each other? She had tried to be understanding. They should have been companions not rivals, especially at a time like this.