The bathhouse was a luxury she had permitted herself on her afternoons off when she was still working under Mrs Wilkins. Since starting her new job she had not had the money to pay for it. A regular bath was something she had been used to at the workhouse, albeit under the supervision of an older woman, and she had missed it when she went into service. There, under Mrs Wilkins’s orders, every Saturday night, she had filled a tin bath in the kitchen with water from the copper and then been banished to her tiny cubbyhole of a room while the cook enjoyed it. Afterwards, she had been permitted to use the now lukewarm, scummy water to wash herself. There was a zinc bath in the bathroom at Nan’s, but hot water had to be heated in the kitchen and then carried upstairs, and, since moving in, May had confined her ablutions to a wash down in tepid water once a week. Now, to be allowed to wallow in steaming water was a luxury she hardly felt she deserved.

Back at the house, Nan put a steaming suet pudding in front of her. ‘Now, I want to see you eat every scrap of that!

May required no second bidding.

Over the next weeks May worked doubly hard, determined to redeem herself. Nan’s displeasure was short-lived and, finding May an apt pupil, she began to give her more responsibility. All the hats were made to order and the first step was to take down the client’s measurements and discuss what fabric was required, whether felt or straw, and what style, perhaps a tiny bonnet to be tied under the chin with ribbons, or a high-crowned hat decorated with flowers or feathers. Was it to be worn every day, or for a special occasion? If the latter, what colour and style of dress was it to accompany? Making notes of all these facts became May’s duty and increasingly the clients asked for her opinion. More and more often Nan left the actual construction of the hat in her hands and the clients were always well satisfied with the result.

Spring arrived, with a rush of new orders, and May found herself taking on increasing amounts of work. She did not mind. Creating a beautiful hat gave her enormous satisfaction and her happiness was increased when she was called into Mr Freeman’s office and told that, as he had received several flattering comments about her work, she would now be given the allowance he had promised.

Towards the end of March she was called into his office again. She always went with some trepidation, afraid that someone might have had reason to complain, but he greeted her with a smile.

‘May, who do you know who might be writing to you from Australia?’

‘Australia?’ She stared at him. ‘No one, sir.’