‘What’s taken your fancy then?’ enquired his companion with a giggle.

‘Nothing for you to worry about,’ he replied, hugging her tighter. Nothing for either of them to worry about, he mused, wiping his mouth along her neck. He had his woman. Molly had her man. All was right with the world.

Chapter Fifteen

‘How can I ever thank you, Miss Nelly?’ Cook’s round face was squeezed into a most uncomfortable expression as she tried to suppress her tears of joy. ‘If you hadn’t come forward with such a generous offer… well, I daren’t think what might have happened to me and Amy.’ She glanced at her smaller companion, who was seated demurely beside her on the couch, seemingly overawed by all that had happened. ‘Amy!’ Even in her delight, Cook had not lost that air of authority with which she had kept the hapless little maid in check all these years. ‘What have you got to say to this kind and benevolent lady who’s saved us from the workhouse?’ Her frown deepened when she saw Amy look gormlessly about. ‘Amy! I asked… what have you to say?’

‘I don’t know what to say… I really and truly don’t.’ She raised her eyes and Nelly saw that they were swimming with tears. ‘I was so afraid, you understand… I never wanted to go in no workhouse!’

Deeply moved, Nelly leaned forward in her chair and patted Amy’s trembling hand. ‘Don’t you worry yourself, my gal!’ she declared firmly. ‘There ain’t nobody gonna put you in no workhouse… nor Cook neither. You’ve got Nelly’s word on that.’ She pursed her lips into a circle of perfect wrinkles, waiting until Amy had finished loudly blowing her nose in a linen square. ‘Right then, you two,’ she said smartly, rising from the chair, ‘take yersel’s off ter Blackpool an’ get that there tea-rooms open, while the summer’s on us. There’ll be many a thirsty tripper just waiting fer such a dandy little place, I’ll be bound. What’s more… you’ll happen get a visit from the Tanner family afore long.’ A beam of delight spread across her homely face as she went on, ‘All on us! Mr and Mrs Tanner with their daughter Molly and her fella, Mick Darcy. And the chillder o’ course. Oh, without a doubt, the darlin’ chillder.’ She stared at the two women with a look of incredulity. ‘Did yer know that them poor chillder ain’t never paddled in the sea?’ she demanded. ‘Oho! We shall soon mend that. What! Me an’ Emma’s looking forward to it like nobody’s business.’ She clutched her chubby belly and chuckled aloud. ‘So, get yersel’s off like I said…’ cause ye’d best have that there tea-rooms open afore we get there!’

‘We’ll do our best… seeing as it’s thanks to you that we’ve got the opportunity of our own little business.’ Cook positively beamed as she, too, got to her feet, indicating for Amy to do the same.

‘Well, it ain’t no gift, is it, eh?’ Nelly reminded her. ‘I’ll be looking for the monthly payments on the loan, soon as ever yer get the first customer through the door. And I’ll be expecting a handsome bonus on my share of the takings.’ Nelly prided herself on the fact that she had actually put some of her savings into a business venture. Huh! ’Tweren’t only Emma as had a good business head, she told herself. She had told Emma the very same, and what more could that darling woman do than agree with her!