Holly still looked doubtful, although she had to admit that the thought of going out into the big wide world wouldn’t seem quite so daunting if she wasn’t alone.

‘All right then, but only if you’re quite sure this is what you really want to do,’ Holly agreed.

Ivy beamed. ‘I am sure. I’ve never been surer of anythin’ in me life. But now I’d better go an’ pack. It’ll only take me a matter o’ minutes.’

‘No,’ Holly told her hastily. ‘It’s better if you stay here tonight, Ivy. I’ll meet you at the train station in the morning at nine o’clock and then we’ll decide where we’re going.’

‘All right, miss.’ Ivy looked slightly disappointed but nodded before quietly slipping away. Deep down she supposed that what Holly had suggested made sense. At least this way she would perhaps be able to go and say her goodbyes to her own family tonight after all her jobs were done that evening.

Suddenly, to Holly, every moment was precious, for who knew when she and her mother might see each other again? There were so many questions that Holly longed to ask, but they were trapped inside her for now. There was just too much to take in all at once and her mind was in a whirl. It was as if the parts of a jigsaw puzzle were falling into place. In the past, when Holly had asked about her father, her mother had always changed the subject. She’d assumed it was because it was too painful for her to talk about him, but now finally she understood the real reason. She could also understand why her grandfather was as he was too. It must have hurt him very much when her mother ran away and she supposed it was all credit to him that he had taken her back in when her husband had deserted her. Even so, she couldn’t go along with his wish for her to marry someone she didn’t love and so now there really was no alternative but to leave, as frightening as that idea was. And to think she had once had a sister she had never even known about! The thought was painful. She had always longed for a sister.

‘I wish you’d told me all this earlier,’ Holly said brokenly as she laid some clean underwear in the case. She was restricted to what she could take so was being very careful what she chose. Three warm outfits, underwear, nightwear and her coat would be all she could carry. She doubted she would need her prettier clothes, anyway, if and when she found a job.

‘I always meant to,’ her mother said in a strangled voice. ‘I just never found the right moment somehow. Oh please, darling … I can’t bear this. I feel as if my heart is being ripped out of me. You’ve been my whole world since Laura died. Let me talk to your grandfather and try to get him to change his mind.’