He climbed the stairs slowly and when he was standing on the landing he quietly shut the door to the child’s bedroom. He didn’t want her coming in and interrupting what he was about to do. Mary pandered to the bairn too much as it was and that was another thing that would change if he had anything to do with it. Spare the rod and spoil the child, that’s what the good book said and it was right an’ all. His father had taken the belt to him when he was a nipper and it hadn’t done him any harm.

When he entered the bedroom he stood for a moment looking down at her, his tongue running over his lips. She’d brought this on herself. He’d offered to pay for it in spite of forking out money every week as it was – he ignored the fact that he hadn’t actually paid her for some time – but she’d acted the outraged maiden. Well, no more. If he’d had any sense he’d have done this months ago.

He was already as hard as a rock with anticipation, and unbuttoning himself he pulled down the covers and yanked her nightdress up over her thighs as he climbed on top of her.

Rose was dreaming. Even in her sleep she knew it wasn’t real, but that didn’t matter. She wanted to stay in the dream where she was safe in Davey’s arms and he was smiling down at her, his brown eyes alight with love. But then his arms weren’t gentle any more. They were rough, pulling at her nightdress, and whisky-soaked breath hit her full in the face.

She reared up in terror, fully awake now as a hard weight descended on her. Her legs were being forced apart and as she struggled and then screamed, the flat of a man’s hand slapped her violently across the face, jerking her neck so that she felt as though her head had been torn off.

Muttered obscenities and the rank smell of male sweat added to the horror of what was happening, and on the periphery of her mind she realized her screams had woken Betsy, who was crying and calling for her. In spite of the crippling pain in her neck and the sheer weight of him that was squeezing the breath out of her chest she continued to resist, kicking and biting and pummelling at his thickset body for all she was worth. Even when she felt him enter her she didn’t give in, and when he tried to adjust his position to grab her hands, she managed to twist and wriggle out from beneath him – but before she could escape he’d caught her again, pinning her on the edge of the bed now as he attempted to enter her once more.