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kissed Phoebe again and Eve smiled at them. ‘He’s a bonny baby. Have you got a name for him?’
    ‘Josiah.’ Phoebe’s voice was firm. ‘With the twins we felt it would be favouring one over the other if one had their da’s name.’
    Eve nodded her understanding. Phoebe looked exhausted and the bedroom smelt strongly of warm stale air and blood. It was making her feel a little nauseous and after clearing her throat, she said,‘Would you like a cup of tea and something to eat?’
    ‘Just a cup of tea please.’ Phoebe slid down in the bed a little and shut her eyes. ‘Mam will be coming later before Nell and Mary leave for school. She’ll see to me.’
    After seeing the midwife out, Eve put the kettle on the hob and then walked into the yard where the pink light of dawn was streaking the sky. The air was cooler than in the house although the smell from the privies in the lane was strong. Again she thought of the Cunninghams and their world, a world devoid of the odours associated with human beings being crammed in together like sardines in a can. Everyone should be able to live like the vicar and his wife.
    A blackbird’s song pierced the early morning and a moment later she heard Josiah come downstairs. Turning quickly she went back into the house to make the tea, thinking as she did so, I must ask Mary if she’s feeling well this morning, she looked peaky last night.
    As it turned out, the morning proved so hectic before she left for work, it went right out of her head.
     
    Nell cast a sidelong glance at Mary as they left the yard to walk to school. The dust was thick in the lane and she kicked at it with the toe of her boot as she said, ‘What’s up with you? You’re quiet this morning. Don’t you like the new babbie?’
    Mary shrugged her thin shoulders. ‘It’s all right I suppose.’
    ‘Worried it’ll push your nose out of joint with Mr Finnigan?’
    ‘No, he don’t even like babies. He told me so.’
    ‘Huh.’ Nell’s jealousy was to the fore this morning. She knew Mary had a shiny sixpence in her pocket that Mr Finnigan had given her because it had fallen out on the floor the night before when Mary had flung her frock down as she’d got ready for bed.
    ‘It’s true. He said you just shove milk in one end and it comes out of the other and that’s all there is to babies.’
    ‘What’s the matter then?’
    ‘Nothin’.’
    ‘Nothing? Come off it, you’re in a mood about something.’
    ‘I’m not.’
    Just the fact her sister had spoken quietly rather than snapping at her to mind her own business told Nell that Mary wasn’t herself. As they came to the end of the lane and passed the Methodist chapel, her voice gentled as she said, ‘You got belly ache or something?’
    ‘A bit.’
    ‘You should have said before we left. They’d have let you stay off school for a day.’
    ‘I don’t want to stay off school.’
    ‘Well, if you’ve got the belly ache—’
    ‘ I said I’d got it a bit, all right? ’ Then, as if realising her voice had been sharp, Mary added,‘You can come with me to the shop on the way home and get some sweets.’
    ‘With the sixpence Mr Finnigan gave you?’
    Mary nodded.
    ‘He never gives me anything.’
    ‘I’ve told you I’ll share an’ I will if you say nowt.’
    ‘Why aren’t you supposed to say anything to anyone when he gives you money? I don’t see why it has to be a secret.’
    Again Mary shrugged. Her voice low and without looking at her sister, she said, ‘You promised, Nellie.’
    ‘Aye, I know, but Eve’s different, isn’t she? It’s not like letting on to Phoebe.’
    ‘No one, Nellie.’They were approaching the school gates now and Mary sprinted forward.‘There’s Hannah. I’ll see you later at home time and we’ll go to the shop.’
    Later, once the register had been taken and the class were settled writing a story about an adventure they would like to have, Mary sat chewing on the end of her pencil. She shouldn’t have