At midday, Molly got up from her bed and checked that the newborn baby was sleeping soundly in his cot. After which, she put on the blue serge dress that had already seen her through four winters, and made her way downstairs.

‘Now that’s very foolish, Molly lass, if you don’t mind my saying so,’ Tilly Watson remarked with a wag of her finger. ‘It’ll serve you right if you start bleeding… and there’s every danger of it, you mark my words. I do know what I’m talking about… I’ve seen more bairns born into this world than I can count. Most of the little blighters come easy, but…’ she hesitated, afraid to harp on the awful circumstances of Molly’s birthing, ‘… well, you have been through a bad time, Molly, and Lord knows there ain’t two-penn’orth of you.’ Coming to where Molly had eased herself into the upright horsehair armchair, she threw her hands up in despair, saying, ‘You listen to what Tilly’s saying, there’s a good girl. Don’t worry about the two lasses, because they’ll be all right lost amongst my brood.’ When she realized that Molly had no intention of going back up the stairs for a while, she shook her head and went to the door. Here she reached up to the nail where Molly’s shawl hung and, taking it down, she hurried across the room to fling it round Molly’s small shoulders, saying with a degree of irritation, ‘Very well, you must do as you think fit. Don’t take no notice of me!’ Her tone was unusually sarcastic.

‘Aw, Tilly, don’t take offence,’ Molly pleaded, reaching out her hand and clutching the older woman’s thin, muscular arm. ‘I know you mean well, but I really am feeling stronger.’

‘Huh! Stuff and nonsense!’ Tilly snorted, taking Molly’s frail-looking hand and putting it firmly back in her lap. ‘Just look at yourself! What! I’ve seen corpses with more flesh on their bones and colour in their faces… you can’t deny it. Not when you’re sitting there, looking at me with them big black eyes that have lost the light God gave ’em. If you will insist on staying down here, my girl… then you must abide by two conditions.’

‘Anything you say, Tilly.’ Molly knew that if Tilly were to take her by the arm and escort her back upstairs, she would never find the strength to resist. Besides which, she was right to be concerned, because the mere effort of getting dressed and finding her way down to the parlour had all but drained Molly of her strength.

‘First of all, you’re not to move one step away from this ’ere fireside.’ She indicated to where her newly laid fire was already emitting a cheery glow. ‘It’ll warm your poor bones once it gets a proper hold,’ she promised.

‘You have my word, Tilly… I won’t budge from this chair.’ Molly couldn’t, even if she wanted to, because she realized now that Tilly was right. She had got up from her bed too early.