Ruby gave her a faltering smile. ‘Hello.’ The girl was quite plain and looked to be in her mid-teens with mousy-coloured hair that hung straight to her shoulders. She was stick thin and tall but her eyes were her saving grace; they were a deep-grey colour that reminded Ruby of stormy skies.

Ruby began to eat her food keeping one eye on Mrs Petty as she fetched a bowl of warm water and began to bathe the girl’s face.

The girl winced once or twice and the older woman shook her head when she was done as she carried the bowl back to the sink. ‘You’ll have a right shiner on you tomorrer,’ she warned. ‘But you’d best get in to the missus now. She’ll be waitin’ for you.’

Without a word the girl rose and left the room as Ruby carried her empty bowl to the sink.

‘All right for you was it, bab?’

Once again Ruby had the feeling that they had met before. ‘Yes, thank you, it was lovely.’ Suddenly she raised her hand to stifle a yawn and the woman gave her a sympathetic smile.

‘You must be tired. Come along of me. I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping. You can go in the room next to Nell.’

Ruby hurried across the room to collect her bundle before following Mrs Petty back out into the opulent hallway. As they passed what she supposed was the sitting room she heard the murmur of voices before following Mrs Petty up the stairs and on to a long landing.

‘That’s where the missus sleeps up that end.’ Mrs Petty gestured to the left. ‘This side o’ the landing is where we sleep.’ She moved on and stopped at the last doorway. ‘You’ll be in ’ere, an’ that door opposite is the bathroom.’

Ruby was impressed. An indoor bathroom, what luxury. Back at home she had bathed in front of the fire once a week in a tin bath that was kept on a nail in the wall in the yard.

When Mrs Petty threw the door open and ushered her inside, Ruby’s eyes grew round. The room was quite small but very pretty. There was a single brass bed with a thick patchwork counterpane thrown across it and pretty flowered curtains framed the windows. There was also a wardrobe in a lovely rosewood with a matching chest of drawers, and a gilt-legged chair stood in front of the window where she could sit and watch the world go by.

‘I’m sorry it’s a bit cold in ’ere but I didn’t know you were coming else I’d have lit the fire.’ Mrs Petty nodded towards a small, tiled grate. ‘But never mind, there’s plenty o’ blankets under the quilt an’ you’ll soon get warm once you cuddle down. I could bring a nice stone hot-water bottle up for you, if you like?’