The first few days at home were strained and sometimes Ruby wished that she had taken Hermione up on her offer of going back to stay with her, but Mr Pembroke and Miss Wood had seemed so genuinely pleased to have her back that she hadn’t liked to offend them. They had proudly told everyone that Ruby was their long-lost daughter and Oscar had even informed her that he was going to see his solicitor to include her in his will, but still Ruby couldn’t bring herself to address them as anything other than Miss Wood and Mr Pembroke. And though it pained them, they accepted that she needed more time to come to terms with everything.

Meanwhile Ruby finally managed to persuade Dilys to write to her aunt and they then both waited with bated breath to see if she would respond.

Four days after the letter had been posted a fine carriage drew up outside and a well-dressed elderly lady rapped on the door.

‘It’s someone to see you, Dilys,’ Betty told her after admitting the visitor. ‘Shall I bring her in?’

The colour drained from Dilys’s face and she nodded numbly.

When the door finally opened, Dilys jumped from her seat and rushed across the room.

‘Aunt Emily!’ she cried, throwing herself in the woman’s arms.

It would have been hard to say who was crying the hardest as the woman hugged her to her.

‘Oh, my poor dear girl.’ Eventually she held Dilys at arm’s length to stare at her and she wasn’t pleased with what she saw. Dilys was so thin her clothes hung off her and although she was slowly recovering from the years of abuse there were still dark circles beneath her eyes.

What she said next shocked Dilys to the core. ‘If only I had known what they had done to you. It’s unforgivable. I would have had you out of there like a shot. But now that you are out you must come home with me.’ She smiled wryly. ‘Because I’m not the only one who was delighted to hear that you were still alive.’

‘Oh!’ Dilys stared at her curiously.

‘Surely you can guess who I am talking about?’

Dilys shook her head.

‘Why, it’s Steven of course! I contacted him immediately to tell him what had happened and although he was shocked and disgusted at what your parents had done to you, he was also thrilled to hear that you’re still alive. He’s coming to see me – and you hopefully – this evening.’

‘But I was sure he would have forgotten all about me by now,’ Dilys said falteringly.

‘Not at all.’ Aunt Emily drew her to the sofa and they sat down together.