Howard was banging on the door and shouting obscenities, and Ruby could hear Bridget and Flo’s voices too, but trying to keep calm in the bedlam, she put out her hand to Ellie, only to see her shrink back into the pillows.

‘Ruby, you have to go, quick, before he comes back,’ Ellie muttered.

‘Who? Daniel? I’m not scared of him, Ellie.’

‘You should be.’

‘Ellie, he’s forced you into this, he’s scum, rotten to the core. I’ll go to the police if I have to.’

‘No.’ Ellie’s face was white, her eyes wide and terrified. ‘It’d do no good. Daniel’s got them in his pocket, paying them backhanders to look the other way.’

‘Not all of them, there’ll be some who are decent men.’

‘You don’t know what he’s like. You don’t cross him.’

‘Then we’ll leave Newcastle, all right? Go somewhere else. We left Sunderland, didn’t we?’ Ruby was getting frantic but trying not to let it show in her voice.

‘You don’t get it, do you? I can’t. He’d find me and kill me.’

‘No, he won’t. I promise you he won’t. We’ll disappear, Ellie. I’ve got money, we can start somewhere new.’

Just for a moment Ruby thought she saw a ray of hope in Ellie’s eyes, but then her face went blank and she shook her head. ‘I’m – I’m not the lass you once knew.’

‘Yes, you are, you are,’ said Ruby fiercely. ‘I don’t care what you’ve done, what he’s made you do. Underneath you are still Ellie Wood.’

Again Ellie shook her head and now her voice was weary when she muttered, ‘You’ve no idea, Ruby, no idea. You live in such a different world.’

‘Listen to me.’ Ruby sat on the edge of the bed and took Ellie’s hands. For some reason it registered that they were soft and white, unlike when her friend had worked in the laundry. ‘I know you’re frightened of him and I’m not saying without cause – I can imagine what he’s like – but if you want to leave here with me I’ll make sure you are safe. I’ll move heaven and earth, Ellie. I swear it.’

‘It wouldn’t be enough, and anyway . . .’

‘What?’

Howard had stopped banging on the door and Ruby could hear voices downstairs.

‘No decent man would want me now. And – and Daniel does look after me.’

Ruby couldn’t believe her ears. She shook the limp hands in hers as she murmured, ‘This isn’t looking after you, lass. Letting men do that to you. Don’t you see?’ And when Ellie just stared at her, she said fiercely, ‘He’s nothing but a nasty little pimp. They both are, him and this Howard. Scum of the earth.’