Through the lump in her throat, Ruby managed to say, ‘I think the world of her too, Daisy.’ And this time she was going to get Ellie out of there. She didn’t care if Daniel Bell came back before she managed to spirit Ellie away – she’d fight him physically if she had to – but she wasn’t going to leave Ellie in his clutches a moment longer.

When they reached Lombard Street Ruby saw three or four women with shawls over their heads standing huddled together close to Daniel’s house. As she and Daisy approached them, one called out, ‘Your man’s bin sticking his head out of the door every two minutes since you’ve been gone, but the other one’s not back yet. Reckon old Aggie’s done for her – she oughta be locked up, the dirty old crone.’

Daisy didn’t reply to this; instead she gestured at Ruby. ‘This is Ellie’s pal, the one I told you about earlier. She’s goin’ to get Ellie away from here, Moll. Away from him.’

The woman looked at Ruby, taking in her fashionable coat and hat and her feet shod in smart leather shoes. Her tone doubtful, she said, ‘You ought to have brought a bloke an’ all, Daisy. There’ll be ructions if Bell turns up.’

Daisy shrugged her shoulders and opened the front door of the house. A groaning wail was coming from upstairs and it was spine-chilling. As they climbed the stairs it changed in pitch so it didn’t sound human, more the sort of shriek an animal might make if it was caught in a trap.

Howard came out of Ellie’s room to meet them and his face was as white as a sheet, his former bravado gone. ‘She’s not stopped since you’ve been gone,’ he muttered to Daisy. ‘I can’t stand no more of this.’

He couldn’t stand any more? Ruby brushed past him and the metallic smell of blood hit her as she walked into the room. The bed was soaked with it and there were pools on the floor; she wouldn’t have believed a human body had so much. Ellie was lying with her knees up to her stomach on her side moaning softly now, and then the awful cry came again, shrill and stretched out, and Daisy began to sob.

It was as she reached the bed that Ruby saw the pitiful little creature between Ellie’s legs. The miniature human being was perfect but so tiny the little girl had had no chance of surviving out of her mother’s body. Telling herself she had to concentrate on Ellie and with tears streaming down her face, Ruby looked at Howard who was standing transfixed in the doorway, visibly shaking. Ellie was a hundred times worse than she could have imagined; they were going to need transport to get her to hospital.