Tess recognised her at once, but having no desire for a confrontation she said airily: ‘I dunno. Do you think Elsie would like a monkey on a stick? Or a cardigan? Only when I was small I hated getting clothes, and Gran’s already bought her the prettiest dress, so—’

She was interrupted. ‘Well, if it isn’t little Tess Williams! Abandoned them animals to fend for themselves, have you? I’m home for Christmas, I am. And who’s this?’

‘Oh, hello,’ Tess said reluctantly. She thought privately that Marilyn looked like a high-class call girl with so many bright colours upon her person, but she certainly drew the eye. Whilst the other girl was busily staring Tess up and down, Tess, in her turn, was staring at Marilyn’s bright blue patent leather shoes, long pointed nails dripping with scarlet varnish, and a week’s wages’ worth of make-up. But fortunately she remembered it was rude to stare, dragged her eyes away from the glittering image before her and answered the question she had been asked. ‘Sorry, Marilyn; I forgot you didn’t know Jonty. This is Jonathan Bell, who’s staying with us for a few days.’

‘How do you do?’ Marilyn said, but she spoke perfunctorily. She turned back to Tess. ‘I’ve heard a rumour that Snowy’s about due home. Well, it was more than a rumour; he wrote that he’d been in hospital so might be back in time for Christmas after all.’

Tess felt a flush of annoyance rise in her cheeks. ‘He wrote to you?’

‘Yes; anything wrong with that?’ Marilyn said belligerently. ‘You aren’t the only person Snowy writes to, you know!’

‘Then if you’ve been corresponding you’ll know as much as I do,’ Tess said. ‘Look, Jonty and I have a lot of shopping to do . . .’

‘It don’t matter then, don’t trouble yourself,’ Marilyn said rudely. ‘I’ll go round and see if his mam knows a date . . .’

‘Oh? Then why ask me what Snowy’s up to when you can ask his mam?’ Tess said rather waspishly.

Marilyn pouted. ‘Oh, I dunno; I remember when I lived in Everton he was quite kind to you.’

‘Quite kind!’ Tess felt her cheeks grow hot, but did her best to keep her voice steady. ‘He was my boyfriend, you mean,’ she said. ‘Still is, for that matter.’ She turned a falsely sweet smile on the older girl. ‘Perhaps you didn’t know that Snowy and I came to an understanding before he left?’

Marilyn gave an affected little laugh. ‘Poor old Snowy! So does that mean you’ve still got your eye on him?’

Tess ground her teeth. It was useless to hope that Marilyn might have changed. She was just the same spiteful, selfish, single-minded girl she had been in the old days, but nevertheless Tess gave her her sweetest smile. ‘I’ve not seen Snowy for two years, but we write every week,’ she said calmly. ‘If he’s been writing to you, I’m sure when he does come home he’ll look you up . . . only by then, of course, you’ll be back in London. It was London you went to all those years ago, wasn’t it?’