It wasn’t Harry who arrived moments later. It was Fay, and she had some news for Bridget. ‘I’m positive this lad we’ve admitted is your friend’s son.’

‘What? Billy, you mean? Billy Higgins? Are you sure?’

Fay sat her down, describing Billy in detail. ‘He told me his mother was Fanny Higgins, and I had it checked out. He was telling the truth, Bridget.’ Swallowing hard, she didn’t relish having to bring more bad news. ‘It’s a shocking tale,’ she warned. ‘Remember what I told you this morning, about a boy coming to the orphanage because his mother was awaiting trial for murder.’

‘No!’ Shaking her head, Bridget couldn’t believe what she was hearing. ‘It isn’t right. Fanny would never kill anybody.’ With trembling hands she took hold of Fay. ‘They’ve made some dreadful mistake. They’ve got to let her go.’ What in God’s name was happening? she thought. Her whole world was falling apart. ‘Fanny will go crazy in jail. And what about Billy? We have to get him out of there right away.’ She buried her face in her hands. ‘Ruthie! She went looking for them. What if she found them and got caught up in it? Where is she, Fay? Where’s Ruthie?’

‘Ruthie couldn’t have got caught up in it because the murder was done before Ruthie ran away. As for the police letting Fanny go, as far as I understand it, there’s small hope of that, I’m afraid. There was a witness apparently. He was there when the murder took place, and he saw it all. He saw your friend murder the farmer’s wife and caught her as she tried to run away.’

Bridget leaped out of her chair. ‘If he said that, he’s a liar! Fanny never murdered anybody! She’s too soft to kill a spider, let alone anything else. Who is he, this witness?’

Fay shook her head. ‘I wasn’t given his name. All I know is that the woman killed was Lucy Meaker, of Meaker’s Farm – some half a mile the other side of Lancaster.’

‘Summat’s wrong here,’ Bridget insisted. ‘I’d stake my life that Fanny never killed that poor woman. I don’t care what they say, she just couldn’t do such a thing.’

‘I really am sorry, Bridget, but these are the facts as I was given them.’

Bridget wasn’t listening. Her mind was racing ahead. ‘Ruthie must have gone there, I’m sure of it! She meant to find Fanny and Billy, and when she makes up her mind about summat there’s no shifting her. She would have asked all manner of questions from all and sundry, I know her!’

‘Keep calm, Bridget, you’re not thinking straight.’

‘I know you mean well, and I’m grateful, lass, but the truth is I’m only just beginning to think straight. I might well be wrong, but what if Ruthie’s enquiries did lead her to that farm?’ There was no changing her mind now. ‘I’ve got to go there, Fay, and while I’m there I’ll make it my business to find out who this witness is that says Fanny committed murder. For some reason of his own, the bugger’s lying. I know he is! And if he’s harmed my Ruthie, I swear there will be murder done.’