He shrugged. ‘It’s back to my room then or we could go for a nice walk.’

Ivy sighed as they turned in the direction of Whitechapel. She’d been on her feet at work since early that morning and hardly felt up to tramping the streets.

As they let themselves into the house where Jeremy lived a host of smells assaulted her and she wrinkled her nose. It reminded her very much of the nasty flat in Soho she and Holly had lived in: boiled cabbage, stale urine and other things that she couldn’t name made her want to gag. A baby was crying somewhere and as they climbed the stairs she couldn’t help but wonder where the attentive man she had met a short while ago had gone.

Once in his rooms she stared about in dismay. A small sink in the corner of the room was full of dirty pots, and discarded clothes were strewn everywhere. Jeremy would certainly never win any prizes for housekeeping. But then she supposed if he had been used to having servants wait on him he wouldn’t know how to look after himself.

‘Put the kettle on while I have a tidy up,’ she told him resignedly as she began to lift clothes and sort them into piles but it soon became clear that Jeremy had other things on his mind.

‘Never mind that, give us a kiss,’ he said, snatching her to him and placing his mouth over hers. As always she felt herself melt against him but when a few minutes later his hand strayed to her breast she gently began to push him away.

‘No, Jeremy, I’ve told you, I’m not prepared to do that sort o’ thing till I’ve got a ring on me finger,’ she told him breathlessly. This happened every time they met now and each time it became that little bit harder to say no.

He instantly turned away from her with an aggrieved expression on his face and lit a cigarette, which made her feel guilty.

‘Haven’t I told you we’ll be married one day,’ he said miserably. ‘I just need to get established in my new job first. But I’m only flesh and blood, you know, and a man has needs! If you really loved me you wouldn’t push me away all the time. I haven’t even got any money because I had to spend my wages on new clothes. It wouldn’t look good if a journalist turned up looking like a tramp, would it?’

Ivy immediately fumbled in her bag and emptied the entire contents of her purse onto the table.

‘Have it all, I can manage until I get paid again. And I do love you,’ she gushed, terrified that she was going to lose him. He was so handsome that she was sure he could have had any girl he wanted. She hurried over to him and clung to his arm like a limpet. ‘I’m just frightened that’s all. What if … you know? I found out I was having a baby?’