By the end of January, the snow had finally stopped falling, only to be replaced by sleeting rain that turned the pavements into slushy skating rinks. Ruby’s ankle had now healed and she began to wonder how long it would be before Maddie expected her to start earning her keep again. She didn’t have to wait long to find out, for as she sat in the kitchen with Mrs Petty one evening, the rain lashing against the windows, Maddie joined them. ‘I thought we might have a little trip out the day after tomorrow, Ruby,’ she said.

Ruby had been in the process of winding some wool for Mrs Petty but now her hands became still as she looked at Maddie with fear in her eyes.

‘Wh-where to?’ Her voice came out as a squeak and Mrs Petty looked up sharply with a frown on her face.

‘I thought we’d take the train to Leicester. You’d like another train ride, wouldn’t you?’

When Ruby remained silent, Maddie frowned and lifting her skirts swished out of the room, clearly not happy with the girl’s reaction.

‘I can’t do it, Mrs Petty!’ Tears gathered in Ruby’s eyes and began to spill down her suddenly pale cheeks as her head wagged from side to side. ‘I can’t do it. It’s not that I’m ungrateful. I’m happy to work but I can’t go stealing again. Me mam would be so ashamed if she knew what I’d done.’

The tears erupted into sobs and rising from her seat the kindly woman hurried over to Ruby and wrapped her arms around her.

‘Couldn’t I earn me keep some other way? Cleanin’ in one of the big houses or somethin’?’

Seeing how distraught she was, Mrs Petty’s lips pursed into a straight, grim line. ‘Look, get yerself off to bed now an’ let me see what I can do,’ she said gently and Ruby rose from her seat and left the room with her chin on her chest as Mrs Petty chewed thoughtfully on her lip. What was happening wasn’t right. Ruby had clearly been brought up to be honest and was not cut out for the life Maddie had lined up for her. Making a decision, she hastily removed her apron and after shrugging into her warm coat she pulled her outdoor boots on and set off into the bitterly cold night. She knew that Maddie wouldn’t be at all happy with what she was about to do but it couldn’t be helped. Ruby was an innocent, not streetwise as Nell had been when she first came to them, and she deserved better.

*

Ruby started when someone gently shook her arm early the next morning.