‘I say you can rely on me.’ Grinning expectantly, he held out his hand.

‘Oh no,’ she said, wagging a finger, ‘if I pay you now you’ll more than likely loosen your tongue over a glass of ale and our little secret will be out. I’ll keep the money aside for you. That way I’ll feel more secure, if you know what I mean. But I’m a woman of my word. Once Fanny Higgins is under the ground, the money will be waiting for you.’

‘How can I be sure you’ll pay me? I mean, once she’s hanged, you won’t care who I tell, will you?’

‘Firstly, I don’t think you want to tell or you would have done so already; secondly, if some folks knew how you’d let an innocent woman hang, they might well do the very same to you. And thirdly, why should I not pay you when you’ve given me the best news I’ve heard in years?’ A thought occurred to her. ‘This man, the one who did the murder. Who was it?’

‘I’ve no idea.’ Why should he tell her? he thought. That might be worth another shilling, another day.

Part Three

1859

A FRIEND IN NEED

Chapter Fourteen

Bob Morris swallowed the last bite of apple pie. ‘That was a wonderful meal,’ he told Bridget. ‘When we’re married, I’ll be the best fed man in the whole of Lancashire.’

Flattered but not duped, Bridget began to clear the table. ‘You’re lying,’ she laughed. ‘I’ve never been all that good a cook. Throwing together a hotpot is no great achievement, and all you have to do for a pie is drop the apples in the bottom of a dish and cover them with a layer of pastry. That’s about it. Nothing fancy there.’

‘You do yourself down, my lovely.’ Getting out of the chair, he came to wind his arms round her waist. ‘I meant what I said, and I can’t wait for the day when you lie next to me as my wife. You’ve already put it off once. Now that we’ve decided to wait for another month, I’m beginning to get frustrated.’

Bridget had deliberately put the wedding off because of the doubts she harboured. She felt restless and uncertain but as yet, she had managed to make good her excuses to him. When he watched her, as he was doing now, she was almost afraid of him. ‘Can you finish clearing the table, Bob?’ she asked. ‘I need to go up and see how Ruthie is.’

She was deeply troubled. The minute Ruthie knew Bob was staying to dinner, she had taken herself off to her room, claiming she didn’t feel well. Bridget knew otherwise, though she didn’t argue. She let Ruthie do what made her feel comfortable, and if it meant hiding herself in her room, that was all right. But it was not a good situation, and Bridget meant to get to the bottom of it once and for all.