Reggie looked at her in surprise. ‘Really?’ He gave Roz a look of approval as he continued, ‘It’s very grand around there. I’ve only been to the city a few times myself, but I must say I’m very impressed.’ He eyed Callum quizzically. ‘I don’t remember you saying what you did for a living?’

Callum glanced at his mother, who gave him an approving nod. He turned to Reggie. ‘Coal.’

Reggie nodded slowly; perhaps that explained their rather unkempt appearance. He had encountered many people on his travels, and whilst some of the wealthier ones were impeccably turned out, wearing only the best, the more eccentric ones quite often looked as though they hadn’t two pennies to rub together. Obviously the Haggartys fell into the latter category.

‘My goodness,’ said Reggie. ‘They say where there’s muck there’s money, and that’s certainly true in the case of coal.’

Callum Haggarty pulled a pocket watch from his waistcoat, glanced at it then spoke directly to his mother. ‘We’d best be off if we’re to make the train.’

Lilith nodded. ‘So, are we agreed?’

Whilst every fibre of her being wanted to say no – and not just because of the way they looked; Callum hadn’t said or done much, but it was the way he held himself: there was an air to him that she found most unpleasant – Roz knew that it would be ludicrous for her to pass up the opportunity to move to Liverpool. She came to a decision. ‘I’ll get my things and say my goodbyes.’

Lilith Haggarty beamed. ‘Splendid!’

Roz was about to walk away when she remembered something. ‘My friends will want to keep in touch, what will be my new address?’

‘Fourteen Ranelagh Street,’ Lilith replied promptly.

Roz shot Suzie a sharp glance; the other girl was frantically coughing into her hand. ‘Are you alright?’

Suzie nodded as tears ran down her cheeks. ‘Fine,’ she gasped before giving her grandmother a furtive glance, which, Roz noticed, was returned with a steely glare.

Roz had no idea what the secretive glance meant, but if she were to guess she would say that Suzie and Callum had no desire to be in Harwich and had only accompanied the older woman so that she wouldn’t have to make the journey on her own. She made her way back to the girls’ dormitory and gathered her belongings. She would miss Felix and Adele, there was no question about that, but the prospect of being reunited with her parents filled her with glee.

She entered the canteen to see an expectant Felix and Adele waiting for her.

‘Well?’ asked Felix, before his eyes fell to her suitcase. ‘Oh,’ he said, the disappointment clear in his voice.

Roz smiled apologetically. She knew Felix would miss her as much as she would miss him. ‘They’re a little unorthodox, but they live very close to the Liver Building.’