Relieved Ruby was talking again, Ellie said, ‘There’s been one or two cards in windows saying they take lodgers – how about we see if that one over there is still free?’ She pointed across the road. A large white card in the window of the two-storeyed terraced house said, ‘Room available within’ in big black letters, but unlike some of its neighbours the house looked as if it had seen better times. The front door had flaking paint and the stone step was unwhitened and soiled; the windows clearly hadn’t been cleaned for a while. But what did such things matter? Numbly, Ruby had said, ‘Come on then,’ and that was how they came to be standing in one of the three bedrooms the house afforded. According to Mrs Duffy, the owner of the establishment, the other two bedrooms were considerably smaller than this one, which, if true, meant they were little more than rabbit hutches.

Ruby dragged her gaze away from Ellie’s hopeful face and glanced about her. She was aware her friend would have settled for almost anything at this point – it was eight o’clock at night and dark outside – but even so she contemplated leaving. The room was dingy and cold and smelled of damp. It held a basic three-quarter-size bed that was wire sprung and fixed onto a wooden frame complete with a blue-striped mattress; two hard-backed chairs tucked under what appeared to be a stained plank of wood that had been fastened to the wall, and a battered chest of drawers. The fireplace that Mrs Duffy had mentioned was a small blackleaded affair which had a bracket fixed to the back of it enabling a pot or kettle to hang from a chain over the coals. To the side of this, and about three feet from the bare floorboards, were two shelves holding an iron kettle, a couple of pots and some other utensils. There was no other storage space and barely room to swing a cat.

The landlady, a little plump woman with hard eyes, pointed to an old wooden coal scuttle next to the fireplace. ‘I always leave that full ready to start a new lodger off,’ she said, her tone making it clear she considered this a great concession, ‘and I should point out the mattress on the bed is brand new. My last lady ruined the previous one.’ She didn’t elaborate on this and Ruby didn’t like to enquire further. ‘And my house is mice and bug free, which is more than can be said for some in this street.’ Another sniff punctuated this remark, something Ruby was to learn was habitual when Mrs Duffy felt she had a point to emphasize.