Jenny eyed her own plate with misgiving. Porridge had seemed a cheap, filling idea, but now she wasn’t so sure. Still, they couldn’t afford to waste anything.

‘Eat it, ducky. It ain’t so bad, and you’ll make a better job of it next time.’

They tackled the food in silence, and when it was finished Ma sat back and grimaced. ‘Sits a bit heavy in the stomach, don’t it?’

There was no arguing with that, and Jenny nodded as she poured two more cups of tea to wash it down.

‘What are you going to do today?’ Ma drained her cup and put it back on the table.

‘My mother’s getting married at eleven this morning, so I thought I’d go to the church and see. I’ll keep well out of sight, though I doubt if anyone would recognize me now.’

‘You’re right there.’ Ma’s expression sobered. ‘You’ve got terrible skinny, pet.’

‘In that case I’d better eat some more of that porridge,’ Jenny joked.

Ma’s deep chuckle made her smile. ‘You don’t have to worry about me, Ma. I might have lost weight, but I’m healthy enough.’

‘I knows that, ducky. It’s just that I don’t like to see you putting up with such hardship. We’ve all been born to it, but you ain’t.’

Jenny leant over and kissed the elderly woman’s cheek. ‘You fuss too much about me. I’m young and strong.’

‘’Course you are.’ Ma gave her a cheeky wink. ‘Before you go out, do you think I could have another cup of tea and a bicky? That’s if we’ve got any left, of course.’

‘I’m sure I can manage that.’ Jenny was smiling gently as she took the dishes into the kitchen.

An hour later she left for St George’s Church in Bloomsbury, where her mother’s wedding was to be held.