Bridget’s answer came swift and decisive. ‘It’s not what I want.’ Memories of the way it was with Ruthie were still too painful. ‘I have Ruthie. It’s enough.’

‘All right, but either way, I’m sure he’ll see you never do a day’s work again.’

Bridget lapsed into silence. If only Tom wasn’t so clear in her mind. If only she could forgive herself. And Harry. Only then could she start looking forward instead of always looking back. Her voice was barely audible as she murmured, ‘I still miss him.’

In contrast, Fanny’s voice startled the ducks on the water as she yelled, ‘Billy, yer bugger! What have I told you? Keep away from the water’s edge. Get back here now! Or I’ll put you in the wagon and bar the door on yer!’

Billy ran back to Ruthie who was lying face down on the grass, peeking at him out of one eye. When he got within a few feet of her, she jumped up and ran between the trees. ‘Can’t catch me,’ she called, squealing with terror when he chased after her.

Chuckling, Fanny turned to Bridget. ‘Little sods! They don’t give a bugger for anything.’

‘It’s good to see them enjoying themselves.’

‘What was that you said just now?’

‘What? About them enjoying themselves?’

‘No, silly arse!’ Fanny had a way with words. ‘Just now, when I yelled at Billy, you were saying something about missing somebody.’ When Bridget didn’t answer, Fanny went on, ‘It’s Tom, ain’t it, gal? After all this time, you still miss him, don’t yer?’

Pressing back against the tree, Bridget nodded. ‘I can’t help it,’ she said. ‘I go to sleep at night and he’s in my dreams, and when I wake up in the morning he’s sitting at the table, looking up at me. Then… he’s… he’s…’ she gulped hard before going on, ‘he’s hanging in the quarry where they found him. Day and night he’s never far away.’

Taking hold of Bridget’s hand, Fanny wasn’t surprised to find it trembling, for she could see the horror in her friend’s eyes. ‘You’ve got to try and rid yerself of all that,’ she urged. ‘Tom’s been gone these past six years, and you’ve got a life to live. There’s Ruthie an’ all. You have to put it behind you, for her sake.’

Snatching away her hand, Bridget gave vent to her feelings. ‘You don’t understand,’ she cried. ‘How can I forget? Don’t you think I’ve tried to put it all behind me? Don’t you think I know I have Ruthie to consider? It’s no good, Fan. I was the one who caused Tom to take his own life.’ Her voice rose to a sob. ‘What I did must have haunted him so much that he couldn’t stand it any longer. We’d agreed that he would be Ruthie’s father in all but blood, but soon after Ruthie was born and I asked him to hold her, I saw the pain in his eyes. I knew then that he couldn’t do it. But I hoped. Oh, dear God, how I hoped it would all come right.’