‘Well, it occurred to me, Phil, when I saw a big bruise on Dora’s arm one time, that you are a cowardly wife-beater. Dora told me she had banged it on a door, but I didn’t really believe her and so I asked Nell. And Nell told me the truth. Then a few weeks ago both Dora and Nell had bruises on their faces, and Nell told me what had happened, and how they had had to escape from their own home and seek refuge with Nancy and Albert. So that got me thinking. I thought if I ever saw you raise a hand to either of them, I would do exactly the same to you – blow for blow. And if it happened a second time, I’d give you two blows for every blow, and three for each on the third occasion, and so on until you got into your thick skull that beating innocent women is a mug’s game. If I had to beat you to within an inch of your miserable life to teach you that lesson, it would be no less than you deserved.’

‘Mind your own business and get out of my house,’ said Philip, advancing on Tom with the belt, ready to lash out.

‘Or what, Phil?’ Tom asked calmly.

‘Why, you smug bastard, how dare you come round here interfering in my marriage?’

‘What marriage would that be, Phil?’ said Tom. ‘The one in which you promised to love, comfort and honour Dora? ’Cos I reckon you’re in no position to get all righteous about that now, are you?’

‘Aah!’ Philip swung out with the belt, the heavy buckle flying through the air like a mace.

Tom ducked to one side and the belt made contact with the dresser with a loud crack, leaving a deep gouge in the pine. In a second Tom had grabbed Philip as he leaned forward behind the weight of the blow, and propelled him back against the wall, one hand around his neck, under his jaw, his feet almost leaving the ground with the speed of Tom’s move.

‘You try that again, Phil, and I promise I shall make you very sorry, you snivelling little coward,’ hissed Tom in his ear while forcing his head back. ‘Only a bully would take his temper out on his wife and daughters.’

Philip struggled to get away, but Tom was a bigger, stronger man and pinned him to the wall all the tighter.