As promised, an extract from ' Girl from the Kip;

Mollie filled her dry mouth with saliva and walked over to the man and said humbly, ‘May I have a word sir?’

The man looked at her and recognising her straight away, and feeling a little embarrassed, he said firmly, ‘Madam, we have nothing to talk about.’ Then he started to walk away.

‘I owe you an apology,’ she shouted above the noise of the market, and he turned around.

‘Now you’re talking.’

‘I may have been a bit hasty.’

He raised one eyebrow and frowned, and feeling embarrassed, she said, ‘Alright, I jumped to conclusions and I’m sorry.’

‘Apology accepted, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go. I haven’t got time to speak to washerwomen.’

Hackles raised, she said vehemently, ‘Washerwoman! I’m not a bloody washerwoman.’

He smiled, he’d guessed she wasn’t, but intended to have a bit of fun at her expense and said, ‘What do you do then? Are you a lady of the night?’

‘You need to hold your tongue sir. I may be a woman, but I can fight as good as any man.’

He smiled, then said sarcastically, ‘I don’t doubt that for a minute.’