Daniel’s pal had shut the door after them but Ruby opened it and stood in the aperture, and she heard him talking to someone in one of the rooms upstairs. Bridget and Flo were standing in the middle of the room; none of them wanted to sit down, and after whispering, ‘Stay here,’ Ruby retraced her steps into the hall and quietly climbed the uncarpeted stairs. The house was three-storeyed and a century ago had probably been the home of a rich merchant, but now it was crumbling and in a state of disrepair, and Ruby didn’t doubt that the others in the street held umpteen families in each property.

A door was slightly ajar on the first landing and Ruby could hear Howard quite clearly as he growled, ‘I tell you she asked for you. Now why would a lady come here, eh? What you bin up to? Dan won’t like it, you know that, don’t you?’

As she pushed the door open wide, Ruby’s eyes registered several things at once. The room, unlike the rest of the house thus far, had a thick red carpet covering the floor and held a double bed with rumpled sheets. Either side of the bed stood two pedestals with an oil lamp on each, and the light from them showed Ellie cowering back against the profusion of satin pillows with Howard bending over her. Without pausing to think, Ruby shouted, ‘Get away from her, leave her alone,’ even as her eyes widened at Ellie’s transparent negligee under which she was naked.

At the sight of Ruby, Ellie gathered up the top sheet, wrapping it round her, and Howard turned, glaring at her as he yelled, ‘Hey, you, who said you could come up here?’

Ignoring him, Ruby cried, ‘Ellie, you have to come with me right now,’ and as Howard sprang and seized her arm she yanked it free, pushing him hard as she shouted, ‘Don’t you dare lay a finger on me.’

The commotion had brought another scantily clad young girl into the doorway, and as she said, ‘What on earth’s going on?’ Ruby turned just in time to see a partially dressed man pulling on his shirt over his trousers as he hightailed it down the stairs.

‘Get the hell out, Daisy.’ Howard manhandled the girl onto the landing, and as he did so, Ruby quickly shut the bedroom door behind him and turned the key in the lock.

Ellie still hadn’t said a word, but now, as Ruby repeated, ‘You have to come with me,’ she pulled the satin sheet tighter round her. Thinking Ellie didn’t understand, Ruby approached the bed. Her voice was soft as she murmured, ‘Ellie, it’s me, Ruby. Don’t be frightened. Look, Bridget and Flo are downstairs. We’ve come to take you home.’