Jenny removed her coat and laid it over the back of a chair, then she sat on a lovely regency chair made of walnut with a deep red satin seat. ‘It isn’t for me. The people I live with are in desperate need.’

When she looked up, she was shocked to see Mrs Stannard’s eyes brimming with tears. Jenny knew how she looked, gaunt and shabbily dressed, so she lifted her head in defiance. She didn’t need or want sympathy!

‘I must apologize for the way you were dismissed –’

Jenny held up her hand to stop her. ‘There is no need for you to do that. It is in the past and forgotten.’

‘That is gracious of you.’ Mrs Stannard regained her composure. ‘How can I help?’

Jenny spent the next fifteen minutes explaining the need for a centre to help the people of Lambeth. When she’d finished Mrs Stannard’s expression was grim – she looked angry and Jenny sighed inwardly. This had been a waste of time; her ex-mistress was obviously furious that she’d been approached in this manner. But she’d had to try.

Jenny stood up and put her coat back on. ‘Thank you for listening.’

Mrs Stannard was immediately on her feet, holding out a pen and paper she’d snatched from a nearby table. ‘Leave me your address, Jenny. I’ll talk to my husband and sons tonight.’

‘Thank you.’ Jenny wrote Ma’s address down and handed it over, then she left the room. A short time ago she would have hesitated to tell anyone except Edna where she lived, but, in the light of the suffering the depression was causing, that didn’t seem important any more.

Edna was hovering at the end of the passage and beckoned excitedly. ‘Come on, Jen, everyone’s itching to see you.’

They clattered down the servants’ stairs, and once in the kitchen Jenny was greeted with cries of delight and many hugs. Even the housekeeper, Mrs Douglas, kissed her cheek before hurrying away.

‘Sit yourself down,’ Mrs Peters ordered, ‘and have some lunch with us.’

Jenny eyed the array of mouth-watering food wistfully. ‘I wish I could, but I must get back to Ma Adams.’

‘In that case you must take it back with you.’

Mrs Peters began to wrap fruit pies, bread and many other things that Jenny now considered luxuries, like cakes; she placed a junket carefully in a basket. How Ma was going to love that, and some for Ivy’s two children …

‘What about one of those nice meat pies?’ Edna had helped fill one basket and was now searching for another in the pantry.

‘Whoa!’ Jenny laughed as her friend came back with a huge hamper. ‘I’ll never be able to carry all that, and you’ll get the sack if the mistress sees you giving away all her food.’