‘Unsatisfactory, but if you are prepared to vouch for her perhaps I can stretch a point.’ Matron Henderson settled back in her chair. It was clear that the girl standing in front of her was a step up from a mere laundry worker who did the washing and ironing, many of whom were workhouse inmates with limited intelligence. Just that morning she had been informed the laundry checker had sent word that owing to family problems she had been forced to give her notice with immediate effect, which was most inconsiderate in the matron’s opinion, considering that the post was at junior officer level and carried a high degree of responsibility. She made allowance for the common workers to be flibbertigibbets, but not her officers. Still, that was beside the point. The fact was, the post had become vacant.

‘Are you proficient in maths?’ she asked suddenly.

Ruby blinked. What did maths have to do with working in the laundry? ‘I suppose so, yes, Matron. At – at my previous job I did the bookkeeping for Mrs Walton.’ The old lady had started her doing this when she had been with her for a while and it was only since Mrs Walton had revealed the plans she’d had for Ruby’s future that Ruby had realized why.

Most fortuitous. Again the matron murmured, ‘Hmm.’ She had always prided herself on recognizing potential when she saw it. Coming to a decision, she said briskly, ‘There is another post that has become vacant, that of laundry checker, Miss Morgan. It is a junior officer’s post and each week the checker balances the ledgers, among other duties. You would earn eleven shillings a week and have three assistants to supervise, and you would report directly to the head laundress who reports to me. Obviously this post carries more responsibility than a laundry worker and your duties would reflect this. You would be asked to stand in for other staff on occasion, and once a month you would be expected to do the afternoon visiting duty in the workhouse hall. For the main part of any day it would be your job to check the dirty linen into the laundry and then account for its departure, but as I’ve said, other duties would be expected of you as an officer when need dictates. You would start work at eight in the morning and finish at six o’clock, Monday to Saturday. After three months you would be subject to a review and, depending on your performance, an increase in salary.’

Ruby stared at the matron, completely taken aback.

‘Well?’ Matron Henderson was watching her closely. ‘What do you say? Do you think you are up to the job?’

Ruby pulled herself together. ‘Yes, I do, Matron, and if you are offering it to me I would like to accept.’

The grim lips twitched just the slightest. ‘I am indeed offering it to you, Miss Morgan.’