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the mess and said, ‘The earth hasn’t fallen in, has it?’
    She was still gasping with indignation at his insolence as the door slammed behind him.
    Sam had already left.
    How long could this continue? Would she manage to hold out against them? Should she just give in and do the minimum? After all, boys of William’s age were noted for their macho behaviour.
    No! She’d never forgive herself if she gave in. A saying someone had shared with her years ago popped into her mind:
If you want people to walk all over you, just lie down and become a doormat
.
    She wasn’t going to do that.

Chapter Three
    One of Millie’s cheeks was bright red again and she winced when Janey put a spoonful of food in her mouth. When Janey put her to bed on Wednesday night, she didn’t settle for ages. Then, at two-fourteen exactly, she began crying loudly. Janey jerked awake, terrified the noise would disturb the other tenants. She tried everything she knew to comfort her baby, but Millie refused to be comforted.
    The hours of the night seemed to pass very slowly with darkness outside shutting her into a tiny, fraught world. Millie alternated her bouts of crying with shallow sleep, during which she whimpered and moved restlessly. Janey was so worried about her she didn’t dare go to sleep.
    There were gels you could rub on a baby’s gums to help the pain, she knew, but she couldn’t afford them unless a doctor gave her a prescription. She had trouble managing on social benefits without needing to buy extras, though she was better than she used to be.
    She’d have to take Millie to the doctor’s when they opened, just in case it was something more serious than teething. Pam had pointed out a medical centre just off High Street and said they had an excellent health visitor who also ran the Child Health Clinic. Surely they’d let her see a doctor without an appointment if Millie was still unwell?
    Just before nine, Janey bundled her daughter up warmly and put her in the buggy, worried because the poor little thing was still crying, though in an exhausted way now. She hurried down High Street to what she thought was the turn-off, relieved when she saw the medical centre ahead, because she was so tired she wasn’t sure she’d remembered it correctly.
    Inside she tried to explain to the receptionist what she wanted, but Millie suddenly started screaming so loudly it was hard to hear what the woman was saying.
    ‘I’m sorry. She’s been crying like this for half the night.’ Janey tried to disentangle her daughter from the buggy to give her a cuddle, but had trouble with the fastenings.
    ‘Here. Let me help you. I’ll deal with the baby. You bring the buggy through.’
    Janey stepped back, soothed by the calm voice. Capable hands soon undid the safety straps.
    Millie was soothed too, because she stopped screaming as soon as the stranger picked her up.
    The woman led the way into a consulting room to one side. ‘My name’s Sally Makepeace. I’m a nurse and I’m the health visitor for the practice. Good thing I was here to help you today. She’s in a right old state, isn’t she? And you look exhausted. Been up all night?’
    ‘Yes. She’s teething, I think, but she’s never been like this before and I’m worried sick. She’s been crying since two o’clock this morning.’ And it wouldn’t take much more to make Janey cry too.
    ‘I haven’t seen you here before, have I? Are you registered here?’
    ‘Not yet. I’ve just moved to the area and my social worker, Pam Foster, suggested I come here. I don’t know if she’s sent the paperwork on yet.’ She took a deep breath and steeled herself because she hated explaining this. ‘I’ve just turned eighteen and I’m on my own, because my parents threw me out when I got pregnant. I moved into a flat in Peppercorn Street this week.’
    ‘What about the child’s father? Does he help you?’
    ‘I don’t talk about him, not to anyone.’
    Sally’s voice became gentler.