Finally, three hours later, they stopped, exhausted, to sit on a low wall outside a large house in Mayfair, which was clearly a wealthy area, and the contrast between this and the poorer places they had walked through was startling. They were both feeling totally worn out and dispirited as it dawned on them both how very different life here was going to be and they were suddenly afraid of the enormous step they had taken. Ivy had barely said a word all afternoon as they had trudged around the busy streets. But now a thick smog was settling across London and it was so cold that their noses were glowing. The pieman had been right when he told them how expensive it would be to rent somewhere to stay and now the light was fading from the afternoon.

‘I don’t reckon I can walk much further in these boots,’ Ivy whimpered, rubbing her sore heels. ‘They’re too tight fer me an’ I’ve got blisters on me heels. Me bag is gettin’ heavier an’ all, unless it’s me gettin’ weaker.’

Holly made a decision. ‘Come on,’ she urged encouragingly. ‘We’ll check into a hotel for the night and begin our search again in the morning.’

‘But one o’ them posh hotels we passed will cost a fortune. Can we afford it?’ Ivy queried worriedly. ‘An’ will they even let me in, dressed like this.’ She stared down at her worn, faded clothes in dismay.

‘We’ll get you a new outfit tomorrow,’ Holly promised. ‘But come on, I’m so cold I can’t feel my hands and feet any more. If we stay out here much longer we’re likely to catch our death of cold.’

After a lot more tramping they finally booked in to a hotel close to Euston Station. The room was basic but clean and they were pleased to find a fire burning in there along with two single beds.

‘I’m sorry we have to share but this was cheaper than two separate rooms,’ Holly apologised as she sank down wearily into a chair at the side of the fire.

Ivy was feeling better already now that she had her shoes off and grinned. ‘Sharin’ don’t bother me, miss. In fact, I prefer it.’

‘Don’t you think you ought to stop addressing me as miss now and call me by my name?’ Holly suggested.

Ivy blinked in surprise. ‘I can try,’ she said cautiously. ‘But it’s gonna take some gettin’ used to, miss … sorry, I mean, Holly.’

Half an hour later when they had thawed out and were feeling a little more human, Holly ordered a meal to be sent up to their room and when it arrived, Ivy looked at the various covered dishes the maid wheeled in greedily.

‘Cor, look at this,’ she yelped as she lifted one lid to reveal thinly cut slices of chicken. ‘An’ there’s all these veg an’ tatties to go with it.’ She eagerly began to fill their plates and passed one to Holly, saying gleefully, ‘I could get used to bein’ waited on like this. An’ there won’t be no washin’ up to do, neither.’