‘Thiz will mean that you will need a man around the house, and if it iz beautiful, then I can paint the scenery and you beautiful ladies, too.’

Mags didn’t know what to say to this. She hadn’t thought Montel would come with them, but now the idea appealed to her. ‘You would give up London and the exhibition you are working towards – not to mention your artistic community – to come and live up there?’

‘I would give up everything for you, Mags, but I don’t see that my exhibition cannot go on. I have my paintings ready. They can be stored at the gallery, and I can come down before the opening to mount them on display. It iz a simple matter and I hope that you will be able to come down with me?’

Everything was possible, in Montel’s eyes. But Mags hesitated.

‘It will be perfect. I am good with everyzing. I can cook, look after children, make and mend, carry in coal for the fires and still spend time painting. Pleaze let me come with you, Mags. I cannot live without you.’

Betsy looked amused. Mags doubted she’d ever dealt with anyone like Montel before.

‘I’m with him, Mags. Life will be much better with Montel in it. Eeh, he’d keep us laughing, and he’d be reet handy about the place. But what about Sibbie?’

‘If Susan cannot have her, then she comes with me. I cannot leave her, though I thought that pig of a man would have given in by now, az Susan iz pining for her daughter – she rings me most days. We talk of our divorce, too. She iz wanting to be free, just in case, but she fears Harold will not divorce you, Mags.’

‘No, especially if the power of attorney over me is lifted, as divorce would mean he would not have a right to everything that is judged as mine.’ Mags told them the position that she and Harold were in, regarding ownership of everything.

‘So while he remains married to you, he can control everyzing, and he may have transferred a lot of it into hiz name already?’

‘Yes, but I don’t care. I have enough for my needs. Though my solicitor does want to bring Harold to task over that. The problem is that it is a costly business to do so, and if I lose, I could be left with nothing. I would rather just walk away.’

‘But then you will never be free!’

The dismay in Montel’s voice both heartened and embarrassed Mags. Would she ever get used to him expressing his feelings so publicly?

‘I can be as free as I want to be, Montel. We will talk about it on our own. But Sibbie is very welcome in my home, because yes, I would love you to come with us.’

Montel did a skip and a dance, in an awkward fashion, making them all laugh. Betsy winked at Mags, but for Mags the statement had seemed to release the last bit of her that was still shackled. Yes, I can do anything I want – even live as man and wife with Montel, if I so wish. And I will, and I won’t care. I will choose to be happy.