He’d only been sleeping with her for a week or so when he had got blind drunk one night and gone on about Rose O’Leary, the woman who had ruined his life, and who was now married to Alexander Bembridge. Polly had recognized obsession when she’d seen it and was bitterly jealous of this woman who had captivated him, especially because most of the time he treated her, Polly, like dirt, even though she never charged him a penny for her favours like she did the others and most of the time he didn’t even pay her his rent.

She’d been at the station as moral support for her mother as her youngest brother, the apple of his mother’s eye, had enlisted and was leaving that day for army camp. She’d recognized the Bembridge man straight away but it was the first time she’d seen Rose. The fact that she was so bonny had been a blow and made her want to hurt Nathaniel just as he hurt her. She was under no illusion that Rose was the reason he’d taken a job at the ironworks which he hated, and that it was his strange love/hate for her that caused him to drink himself into a stupor most nights. Rose was his motivation for life, it was as simple as that.

The thought brought the jealousy surging again. ‘I’ll tell you another thing an’ all,’ she said flatly, knowing each word would be like a knife in his chest. ‘Gertie Bell was at the station, seeing her man off after he’d been home on leave, and after the train had gone and we were talking about the Bembridges, she said they’ve just had twins. Twin boys. Her sister’s a maid up at the house and she told Gertie that the husband, Alexander, got special leave to come and be with her, him being an officer an’ all. Devoted, Gertie says they are. She says her sister told her she’d never seen a couple so besotted with each other.’

‘Shut your mouth.’ Nathaniel had been sitting at the kitchen table drinking a glass of whisky she’d poured him when he had walked in, but now he stood up so suddenly the chair went skidding backwards to fall with a clatter on the stone flags.

‘No, I won’t shut up,’ Polly said defiantly, knowing two of the lodgers were upstairs and they would come running if she screamed. ‘This is my house, remember, and I’ll say what I like in it.’