‘Will you stop sayin’ sorry! You ain’t on the clock ’ere. Sometimes the missus don’t get her arse out o’ bed before dinner time.’

Nell glanced at Ruby’s pathetic little bundle curiously before asking, ‘So, got kicked out of ’ome, did yer?’

‘N-not exactly.’ Ruby felt her cheeks flame. How could she ever tell anyone why she had run away?

As if Nell could sense her unease, she shrugged. ‘Ah well, wharrever yer ’ere for it’s nice to ’ave someone closer to me own age to natter to. But I’ll leave yer to drink yer tea in peace now, an’ when yer ready come down to the kitchen. Mrs Petty’s got some breakfast ready for yer. Make sure as yer try some of her porridge.’ She grinned as she licked her swollen lip and rubbed her stomach. ‘Ain’t nobody makes porridge like Mrs Petty – she sprinkles sugar on it an’ drips honey all over it, mm!’

She left then, and once Ruby had drunk her tea she quickly got dressed and tugged her hairbrush through her unruly red curls before making a visit to the bathroom, which was just as luxurious as she had expected. Once she had finished, and eager to get downstairs, she hurried back into her room and made the bed, intent on leaving everything just as she had found it. She took one last regretful glance about and sighed. It had been kind of Mrs Bamber to offer her shelter for the night but already she was wondering where she would be sleeping tonight. She had no idea how much a room somewhere would cost but she doubted the small amount of money she had would cover it. As she pictured herself shivering in some draughty shop doorway, she straightened her back and took a deep breath. She might not have much money but she did have pride aplenty so she would face whatever lay before her with as much courage as she could muster.

There was no sign of Nell when she entered the kitchen but Mrs Petty gave her a welcoming smile. ‘So what can I tempt you with this morning, bab?’ She pointed to a steaming saucepan on the range. ‘There’s some porridge or I could do you a nice rasher or two o’ bacon an’ an egg? An’ how did you sleep? Yer certainly look a bit better this mornin’ than yer did last night. Why yer looked like death warmed up, yer poor thing.’

‘I slept very well, thank you.’ Ruby gave her a grateful smile. ‘And I’ll just have some porridge, please. Nell told me that it’s delicious.’