The space immediately in front of the public house was empty apart from several men of various ages who were standing talking or sitting on the pub’s low stone wall, and a robust young woman with red cheeks who eyed Rose up and down as she walked towards her. When she was close enough, Rose said, ‘Is this where you stand for the hirings?’

‘Aye.’ The woman looked to be in her early thirties or late twenties, and she didn’t smile as she said, ‘Wouldn’t bother if I were you, not with the bairn.’

‘Aw, give over, Maggie.’ One of the men sitting on the wall had heard what she’d said, and now he addressed himself to Rose as he added, ‘You’ve got as much right to be here as anyone, lass. Don’t take no notice of her.’

‘You can shut up an’ all.’ The woman rounded on the man. ‘Worst day’s work I ever did, marrying you.’

‘You were keen enough at the time. Couldn’t get me down the aisle quick enough if I remember.’

‘That was when you were working for Farmer Tollett an’ I thought you were set up for life with the cottage an’ all.’

‘Not my fault he sold up and the new bloke had five sons to do the work. Blood’s thicker than water.’

‘Huh.’ The woman hitched up her ample breasts, pulling her shawl more tightly round her. Turning back to Rose, she said, ‘What you after?’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘What sort of work are you hopin’ for?’

‘Anything,’ Rose said truthfully.

‘Live-in?’

Rose nodded.

The woman’s hard eyes narrowed. ‘Got caught out with the bairn, did you? Some bloke do a runner?’

‘No, my husband died.’

‘Right.’ She might as well have said ‘That old story’, from her tone. ‘What about family, couldn’t they help?’

‘No,’ said Rose shortly, turning away.

‘Hoity-toity. Strikes me you haven’t got anything to be uppity about. Still, with a face like you’ve got there’s always one way to earn a few bob.’

‘Maggie.’

This time the woman took notice of her husband and after a muttered ‘I was only sayin’’, became silent, probably realizing she had gone too far.

The exchange had confirmed Rose’s fear of what everyone would be thinking and she stood in silent misery, not looking to the left or right, her cheeks scarlet with humiliation. Thankfully Betsy was fast asleep but sooner or later she would wake up and need feeding and possibly changing. It had been foolish to come here with her but what else could she have done? If Mrs Harper had been a different kettle of fish she could have asked her to mind Betsy for a while, but she could just imagine how that request would have gone down.