‘Rose, I’m sure, all right? It happened so fast he wouldn’t have known a thing.’ Nathaniel rubbed his hand across his face, remembering that scream. ‘Not a thing,’ he repeated.

Slow tears brimmed in her eyes and then began to roll down her cheeks, and as her breath caught in her throat she began to sob. Taking the cup and saucer from her Nathaniel set it down and then kneeled in front of her, gathering her into his arms. Almost immediately she jerked away, saying through her tears, ‘It – it’s all right, I – I—’

He leaned back on his heels, saying softly, ‘Don’t be daft, lass. Cry it out. I loved him too, remember, and if you can’t cry in front of me it’s a poor do.’ Holding her, touching her, it was intoxicating, heady. He went to take her in his arms again but she was too quick for him, rising to her feet as she said, ‘Betsy, I must see to Betsy,’ as the baby began to stir and whimper.

He let her move away, and once Betsy was in her arms said, ‘Here, give her to me while you drink your tea,’ taking the child before she could protest. As she stood hesitating, he said more firmly, ‘Sit down and drink your tea, Rose,’ and felt a little thrill of satisfaction when she obeyed.

He stood jogging the baby against his chest as he watched Rose, and when she set down the cup and then fetched a handkerchief out of her skirt pocket and scrubbed at her eyes, it took all his willpower not to reach out and touch her hair. She was so beautiful – even distressed like this she was more beautiful than any girl he’d known. Davey would never have been able to hold a woman like this for long, she would have tired of him eventually and broken his heart. At least the accident had spared him that pain. And it had been an accident, he hadn’t engineered the manhole cover breaking after all, he told himself, and if he’d tried to haul Davey up who was to say that they both wouldn’t have fallen to their deaths?

‘I’ll take her now.’ He came to himself to see Rose reaching for Betsy and as he handed the child over, she murmured, ‘You have to get back, we’ll be all right.’

He was about to answer, ‘No, I’ll stay,’ but in truth Ferry would expect him to return shortly, so instead he said, ‘Can I fetch one of the neighbours for you?’

‘No, I’d rather be on my own.’ It was said in a manner that brooked no argument.

‘I’ll come back later then.’

‘No, you don’t have to, really.’