‘No, you definitely shouldn’t take it back! Think about it, Sarah. Do you really reckon she’ll believe you weren’t somehow involved in the robbery? It ain’t worth risking it, not for a few quid and a poxy ring.’ George sounded more forceful than he wanted to, but he had to convince her.

He was pleased when, without saying a word, Sarah slid the ring across the table towards him, then scooped up the cash.

‘Good girl. Now, we won’t ever mention this again, and you stay away from that blinkin’ river, OK?’

Sarah nodded, but George wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d seen a smile on her beautiful face. ‘What do you reckon to these Eccles cakes? They taste good but I have to close my eyes when I eat them.’

‘Why?’ Sarah asked.

‘It’s these currants … they look like dead flies.’

At last, Sarah’s lips turned up and her eyes creased in the corners.

‘Thanks for telling me that, George. Now I’ll have to close my eyes too,’ she said, but smiled as she picked up her cake.

George was pleased to see that Sarah looked happier. She’d been beating herself up, feeling guilty, and that endeared her to him even more. It proved she had a conscience, and he had no worries about recommending her to his mum for a job in the corner shop. She’d be safe there, with no more foraging on the banks of the Thames. Her days of being a mudlark would be well and truly over.

Chapter 18

On the day of her mother’s funeral, Sarah wore the black outfit she’d bought from George. She wasn’t surprised when nobody turned up to bury her mother. Annie had made more enemies than friends, but Sarah had thought that at least Eddy might have put in an appearance. As it turned out, she stood alone at the side of the shared grave to see her mum off.

She laid a bunch of wild flowers on the ground. It was a poignant reminder of her struggle to provide for Tommy when she’d sold hand-picked flowers in the High Street. She shouldn’t have been put in the position of having to leave school and look after Tommy. It was something her mother should have done. However, she no longer resented her, and in some ways she felt sorry for her. Sarah understood how difficult life could be with no money and the responsibility of a child. She could see why her mother had prostituted herself.