Seeing that Ruby was looking concerned she smiled. ‘Don’t worry. You won’t be expected to learn everything overnight, or even attempt all of it. We tend to find that each person in the jewellery school has something that they excel at and they usually stick to that, so making one piece of jewellery can involve many different people. I myself enjoy designing the pieces and deciding which gems would be most suited to the style. Brooches are highly sought after at the moment, so I’ve been designing quite a lot of those. Tomorrow I shall take you into my workshop and you can look at what I do.’

Ruby nodded, feeling a little apprehensive. She had always imagined that a jeweller just sat down and made a piece and had never imagined that there were so many different processes involved.

‘I think we shall also need to get you some new clothes if you are to accompany me when I go to the shops,’ Hermione said as she stared at her thoughtfully. ‘The dress you are wearing is very dull. I prefer to see young people in bright colours so I shall take you to my dressmaker to look at fabric and patterns as soon as possible. Perhaps we’ll go into Coventry one day this week for anything else you may need as well.’

Ruby perked up considerably at the thought of that. The dress she was wearing was quite drab, although it was better than the ones Maddie had made her wear, but she was trying to put Maddie from her mind, so she said, ‘Thank you, that’d be lovely. I ain’t never really had anything bright before.’

‘That would be lovely,’ Hermione corrected. ‘And it’s “I haven’t”, not “I ain’t”.’ And so began the first of Ruby’s many elocution lessons.

*

Despite the fact she was in yet another strange bed, Ruby slept well that night and when she went down to breakfast the next morning, she found Mrs B with a pan of porridge bubbling away on the stove.

‘Is Hermione not up yet?’ Ruby enquired as she took a seat at the table.

Mrs B chuckled. ‘Hermione is up wi’ the lark every mornin’,’ she informed her. ‘She said to let you sleep in just this once but she’s already at work in her workshop. You’re to go through to her once you’ve had breakfast.’