‘Please, Fanny,’ Bill appealed to her, ‘we don’t want the whole street listening to what I have to say.’ With every word he went redder and redder in the face.

Fanny knew him all too well. ‘You bastard!’ Shoving him aside, she kept firm hold of Bridget. ‘You don’t need to tell me what’s on yer mind, ’cause it’s written all over yer bloody face. You’re staying with her, that’s it, isn’t it?’ When he dropped his gaze to the ground, she lashed out at him, hitting the top of his head, ‘Get away from here!’ she screamed. ‘I should have known you wouldn’t have the guts to stand up to her. You never have before, so why should you now?’

‘Fanny, please listen to me! She wants to try again. I’ve too much to lose… too set in my ways. You have to understand.’

‘Understand?’ Raising her voice to such a pitch that doors opened along the street and women popped their heads out to gawp, Fanny gave them enough to gossip about for the next twelve months. ‘Does she understand, that’s what I want to know. I’m carrying your bairn. Does she understand that? And does she know you’ve been leading me on for years, and I’ve been fool enough to believe yer bloody lies?’ When Fanny was in full flow, there was no stopping her. ‘Oh, an’ have yer told her how you hate the very sight of her, how yer can’t bear her to be near yer, and how yer wish she’d bugger off and leave the two of us to make a life together? That’s what you told me time and again. Lies, was it, Bill? All lies? Well, o’ course it was.’ By now the tears were streaming down her face. ‘Piss off then! Yer nothing but a lily-livered coward, Bill Norman. An’ by God she’s bloody welcome to yer!’

With the last statement Fanny lashed out again and caught him hard and true behind the ear. The blow landed with such impact that it sent him sprawling to the ground. ‘That’s it, Fanny!’ he yelled at her from the pavement. ‘It’s your damned temper that frightens me. That’s the top and bottom of it. All right, she’s not perfect, but when I come to think of it, I’d rather live with her and know she’s not about to take a knife to me heart than live with you and not be able to sleep of a night!’

Fanny’s bawling matched his own. ‘You’d best bugger off while you’ve got a chance, Bill Norman,’ she cried, ‘before I jump off this step and squash yer.’

Scrambling to his feet, he shouted, ‘And there’s summat else an’ all. How do I know for sure it’s mine yer carrying? It could be anybody’s. Gawd knows you’ve been with enough fellers in yer time.’

‘You no-good bastard!’ Incensed beyond endurance, Fanny rushed forward and threw herself at him.

‘No, Fan! Leave him.’ Seeing the danger, Bridget reached out to draw her back, but it was too late. With a heart-rending cry, Fanny launched herself at him, lost her footing and fell heavily to the pavement. ‘Oh, Jesus! Now look what you’ve done.’