‘May, don’t be angry with me. I can’t accept what you said in your letter. I have had a long talk with my mother. I’ve told her that you are a perfectly respectable young woman, the daughter of a sea captain. You can’t be blamed for the fact that your family fell on hard times and you had to earn your own living. I said that I believe you could hold your own in any company and conduct yourself so that any man would be happy to have you for his wife. And finally I said point-blank that I am not prepared to give you up. So, can we forget all that silly business about damaging my career and go back to the way we were?’

She blinked at him, unable for the moment to find words. She had completely forgotten the lie she had told about her parentage. She had done it so that he would not look down on her, and now it seemed her deception had come home to roost. Her thoughts churned wildly. Was it too late, now, to tell him the truth? And if she did, would it change the way he felt about her? Perhaps it would be better to live with the lie …

He put an end to her internal turmoil by taking her in his arms and kissing her properly for the first time.

Fifteen

For May, the summer of 1867 was replete with new experiences and new discoveries. She met James every Sunday afternoon and he decided that they should use the time to explore the surrounding areas by any means possible. On the first Sunday he met her with the greeting, ‘Put on your hat. We’re going on a train ride.’

‘A train?’ she said. ‘I don’t know … I’ve never been on a train.’

‘You’ll love it, I promise,’ he responded.

‘Where are we going?’

‘There are lots of possibilities. I’ve been looking at the schedules for the Crosby and Southport line. We might go as far as Southport one day, but today I thought we would just go as far as Bootle. Do you fancy an afternoon at the seaside?’

‘Yes, I suppose so.’ She had very little idea of what that term implied but if James thought it a good idea that was enough for her.

The train frightened her and when the locomotive came chuffing into the platform, breathing fire and smoke, it was all she could do not to turn and run. But once they were on board and moving she gave herself up to the thrill of speed.

‘We’re going so fast! I didn’t know anything could go so fast.’

‘It’s exciting, isn’t it?’ he agreed, lifting his face to the wind rushing through the window.