‘So now you want me to be part of a conspiracy.’

‘It’s your decision. That’s all I’m saying.’

‘How do I know it will never happen again – you and her?’

‘Because I give you my word.’

‘I can’t trust you.’

‘All I can do is give my word.’

For a long moment she continued to stare at him, at his bloodied face and the look of despair in his eyes, and she felt nothing but contempt.

With her eyes fixed on his, she raised her hand and summoning all the force in her body she brought it down across his mouth. The shock of it stunned him. ‘You’re no brother of mine!’ she hissed. She intended to make him suffer for what he had done. It wasn’t the shame that drove her. Deep down she was consumed with jealousy. She had never known what it was like to have a man hold her in his arms, while Bridget Mulligan had both husband and lover.

Without another word, she flung open the door and was gone, leaving Harry staring after her. ‘God help us,’ he murmured. Would Alice keep his secret or would she ruin them all out of spite?

Closing the door, he searched in the dresser for a clean shirt and a towel. Then he set about strip-washing at the sink.

When he was clean and feeling fresher, he put on his coat and went out into the street. Here, in the light from the street lamps, he searched for the bottle of medicine he’d brought for his mother. It was only a matter of minutes before he found it, half hidden at the foot of the steps where it had skidded from his pocket when he fell.

Thankfully it was not broken, though it had landed near a shard of broken glass which pricked his finger when he reached down. ‘Not my night at all,’ he said sardonically. Dropping the bottle into his pocket he went inside and up to his mother’s room.

Alice brushed by him on the landing. ‘Have you thought over what I said?’ he asked hopefully, needing to know.

With a cold, hostile glare she passed him by without a word.

‘Hard bitch!’ Agitated, Harry went into his mother’s room, and was concerned to find her wide awake. ‘You should have been asleep ages ago,’ he chided. ‘I’ve brought you your new bottle of medicine.’ He gave her a kiss and set the bottle on her bedside table. ‘You look pretty,’ he said with a smile.

Laughing with delight, Maud took hold of his hand and with surprising strength pulled him down to sit beside her. ‘What I want to know is, where have you been? I thought you’d be back ages since.’

‘Met a friend,’ he lied. ‘You know how it is, Ma.’

‘Have you been fighting with one of them bloody horses again?’ she asked, fingering his wounded temple. ‘I’ve told you before, they’re dangerous beasts.’

‘Aw, they wouldn’t harm a fly,’ he replied. ‘The master has two carriage horses and an old mare that’s past her prime. You’d hardly call them fighting horses.’