Ruby smiled at Flo who smiled back, somewhat mollified. ‘Aye,’ Flo said, ‘like I said to Brid, Ellie’s a nice lass but too gullible. I dunno if Brid’s told you, but we all tried to make the lass see what Daniel Bell’s like but she saw him through rose-coloured glasses.’ She couldn’t resist adding, ‘I know you don’t think much of us lot but none of us would get mixed up with someone like him. We just like to have a bit of a giggle, that’s all.’

‘I know, Flo. I do. And it’s not that I didn’t want to be friends but going out drinking just isn’t my cup of tea, that’s all.’

Flo grinned. ‘Not your cup of tea, that’s a good ’un.’ She still thought that Lady Muck – as she and her other pals had christened Ruby – considered herself a step above, but to be fair Ruby’d always been a good friend to Ellie. Look at what she was doing now. And Bridget had said Ruby had been prepared to confront Daniel Bell by herself. That took some guts. No, there was something to be said for the lass but Ruby still got up her nose, truth be told. All these evening classes doing this and that wasn’t normal for a young lass in her opinion, it was unnatural. Mind, Ruby might be about catching herself a rich husband; now that she could understand.

They began walking towards Lombard Street, the stink from the fish market hanging heavy in the warm air. There seemed to be an inn every few yards and despite the early hour – it was still only seven o’clock – from the noise within quite a few of the customers were already on the way to being drunk. They were walking along the quayside and then as they turned into Lombard Street past a bank situated on the corner, the three girls saw two sailors leaving a house further down the street, laughing and nudging each other as they went.

‘That’s where Bell lives,’ Flo said quietly.

Ruby felt her stomach turn over. Those two men . . . She glanced at Bridget who said, ‘Don’t think about it, and anyway they might just be mates of Daniel.’ But neither of them believed that.

The three of them had come to a halt. Bridget looked scared to death and even Flo, who was a big hefty girl with arms on her like a navvy from her job at the rope and wire-making works, was biting her lip. Ruby had to swallow hard before she could say, ‘You two stay here. If I get into any bother I’ll say you’re waiting outside and will raise the alarm if I’m not out in ten minutes.’