‘Crooked Lane, above a coal merchant’s – and no, they don’t own it in case you’re wondering. That was another lie – and the only reason why they wanted me to move in with them was so they could use me as free labour.’

Felix nodded slowly. ‘We guessed as much.’

Roz looked past him. ‘We?’

‘Mr Jones. I’ll admit I tore a strip or two off him when I found out he’d had his suspicions that they weren’t all they cracked themselves up to be, but like he said, sometimes, when you’ve got little choice, you have to take folk at face value.’

A voice called out from within the house. ‘Close that bloody door or come in! I’m not payin’ to heat the Scottie!’

Felix grinned. ‘Do you want to come in?’

Roz looked at Mabel who nodded. ‘Better than standin’ out here,’ she glanced up at the sky which was threatening rain, ‘it looks like the heavens are about to open.’

The girls followed Felix into the house where he introduced them to Alan and Bill, who gave them a welcoming, gappy grin.

‘Can’t stay away, eh?’ Bill chuckled. ‘Just as well, mind. He was chuffed to bits when he heard you’d come callin’.’

‘Bill!’ objected Felix, though the girls could see he wasn’t too bothered by the older man’s words.

Alan, who had got up from his chair, gestured for the girls to take a seat. ‘Stop teasin’ the lad. We’ll leave you to make these girls a cuppa.’ He touched his forelock as he ushered his father out of the room.

Roz took the seat nearest the range where Felix was putting a kettle on to boil. ‘Looks like you’ve landed on your feet, as my mother would say.’

Felix looked to the door which had closed behind the men. ‘They’re grand, really nice fellers, would give you the shirt off their back …’

Mabel tutted loudly. ‘Not like the bleedin’ Haggartys, then, who literally took the clothes off our Roz’s back.’

He looked at Roz, his face clouding over. ‘Why did they do that?’

‘To sell down the pub,’ said Roz simply.

He shook his head as he added a couple of scoops of tea to the pot. ‘They’re even worse than I imagined, and I didn’t think that was possible.’

‘They got her workin’ for nothin’,’ Mabel volunteered, ‘not to mention beggin’ for stuff down the markets.’

Roz, who had been wondering how to tell Felix of her embarrassment, frowned at Mabel, with both relief and annoyance. Seeing the look on Roz’s face, Mabel apologised, adding, ‘Maybe I spoke out of turn, but it’s not your fault. You told them you didn’t want to go, but they forced you anyway.’