‘Don’t you come that tone with me, madam. You’d do well to think about what I’ve said. It’d leave you free to make your own life and knowing you, it wouldn’t be long before you had another poor fool to support you – but even the most smitten man’d be chary about taking on some other man’s bairn.’

‘I said get out and don’t come back.’

‘You.’ Vera’s face was ablaze with the force of her hate. ‘You workhouse scum, morals of an alley cat like all your kind. Bad blood runs in your veins, m’girl, and blood always outs. You reeled my David in before he knew what was happening and once you’d got your hooks in him he was done for. And that poor bairn of his, being left with the likes of you. God alone knows what’ll become of her.’

Rose had always considered herself a gentle person but now she had an almost overwhelming desire to fly at her mother-in-law. Instead she opened the back door, her voice quivering as she said, ‘I can’t believe my Davey came from you, he was everything you’re not, good and kind and loving. He was ashamed of you, do you know that? Disgusted and ashamed. As for me, I’d rather see my child homeless than living under a roof where she’d come into contact with you. I’m sorry for Phyllis that she can’t have bairns, but I’m even more sorry for her that she’s got a mother like you.’

The colour had left Vera’s face now but the bitterness and hate twisted it into something ugly. She swept past Rose out into the yard, turning once outside. ‘I’ll see me day with you, girl. If there’s any justice, I’ll see you brought low and in the gutter where you belong—’

She was still talking as Rose shut the door in her face.

Rose went to see Mr Todd in the afternoon. Once Vera had left she had cried herself dry, but had felt better once she had washed her face and fetched Betsy down from her morning nap. Nevertheless, she decided to wait until after lunch before venturing out. The Emporium manager had been very understanding, not asking any awkward questions and promising he would call round in two days’ time if that was convenient? They had agreed a time and she had left the shop with Betsy in her arms, the snow being too deep to take the pram out.