‘Bostin’?’ Ruby really had no idea what some of the words that Nell, and Mrs Petty for that matter, used meant. It was like listening to a foreign language.

‘Bostin’ means good, excellent,’ Nell explained.

Ruby shook her head. ‘And why do you keep calling me bab?’

‘It’s a term of endearment used by us Brummies. Much as you’d say, love or dear, we say bab.’

Ruby was finding it all very confusing but no doubt she would get used to it in time. Meanwhile, the meal looked delicious and despite all the fancy cakes and pastries she’d eaten, she cleared her plate in minutes as Mrs Petty went about the room with a long spill lighting all the oil lamps.

‘Right, now you’d best get all this new clobber up to your room and get it put away,’ Mrs Petty advised, and Ruby was only too happy to oblige.

She was tempted to put one of her new dresses on but decided she would wait till morning when Maddie had told her they would be off on another shopping expedition. Mrs Petty had lit the fire in her room for her and crossing to the window, she watched the lighter in the street lighting the gas lamps. She stifled a yawn. It had been a busy old day one way or another so she decided she would just have a lie on the bed for a few moments. It looked so tempting and the room was so cosy that she was loathe to leave it just yet. She hopped beneath the pretty patchwork quilt and before she knew it, she was snoring softly.

The fire had burnt low when she awoke sometime later and she hurriedly tossed a few more nuggets of coal onto it before rushing downstairs. Whatever would Mrs Petty think of her doing a disappearing act like that?

She found the woman sitting at the side of the fire in the kitchen contentedly knitting and she smiled at Ruby as she entered. ‘Had a little nap, did yer, bab?’

Ruby nodded as she looked around but there was no sign of Nell or Maddie.

‘Maddie’s entertainin’ a friend in the drawin’ room an’ Nell’s at work,’ Mrs Petty informed her, almost as if she had been able to read her thoughts. ‘An’ if you look under that covered plate on the table, you’ll find I’ve left you a bite o’ supper to tide you over till mornin’.’

Earlier on, following the excellent dinner Mrs Petty had cooked for her, Ruby had been convinced that she wouldn’t be able to eat another thing until morning, but as she saw the freshly baked bread and the slices of thick cheese Mrs Petty had left for her she suddenly realised she was hungry again and tucked in.

‘So, does Nell work very far away?’ she asked when she had eaten her fill and was washing the plate at the sink.