This stung Betsy. She had no words.

‘And I tell you this much: it’s going to stick in me craw providing for Roford’s bastard an’ all.’

‘Bill, please. No matter how this babby got inside me, it’s a human being, and it’ll only have us in all the world to care for it. It’ll be as much part of me as our lasses are. And I, for one, will do all I can to provide for it, as I have done and will carry on doing for me little lasses.’

Bill walked out of the room. She heard the front door slam and went to the window to watch him walk down the road, as he had done each day since hearing her news. He just didn’t seem to want to be near her any more.

Her thoughts turned to Mags, and how sorry Mags must feel not to be able to carry out her promise to her and Bill. Oh, Mags, love, if only you knew. It’s me who’s let you down. It were my lies and deceit that resulted in you being put out of your home. Oh God, when will I ever have peace inside me again? Sighing, she told herself, ‘You’re to get on with it, lass. Nowt can be undone. And hard as it is to live with, you’ve no choice.’

A wail from upstairs told her that Rosie was waking. She was a lazy madam, that one. She’d sleep till the cows come home, but by, did she let you knaw it when she wakened.

‘Come on, me lass. Are you hungry? I’ve kept some porridge on the go, for when you woke. And once you’ve had it, we’ll get you in your pushchair and go and find your da. He’ll be by his ma’s grave, if I knaw him. He allus goes there to talk over his troubles with her. He’ll sit under that tree for hours.’

‘Dada.’

‘Yes, that’s right – your da. Eeh, lass, you’re three now and should be a right chatterbox. I don’t knaw what holds you up from progressing. And you’re still not that steady on your feet. You’re a proper slow developer, aren’t you?’

‘Me slow develper.’

‘Ha, that’s right, or nearly. Keep this up, lass, and I’ll not be able to shut you up. But by, I’d be glad not to, as you’ve got me more than a bit worried about you.’

‘Mama wor – wor—’

‘W-orr-ied.’

Rosie giggled. ‘Mama not ’appy.’

‘Eeh, there’s more goes on in your head than we knaw. Now eat that porridge.’ Something in Betsy settled, on this exchange with Rosie. As she had niggled about Rosie’s lack of progress, now she wondered if it was just laziness, or the fact that everyone pandered to her, as Florrie and Daisy seemed to know what Rosie wanted, without her telling them.

But although this worry felt sorted, Betsy couldn’t feel happy about everything else in her life. It’s all spoiled, and I only have meself to blame. She’d go and find Bill and try to make up with him. But how she’d ever make everything right again, she didn’t know.