A good night’s sleep had obviously restored Ma, and, apart from a couple of times when she seemed to lose the thread of what she was saying, everything appeared fine. Jenny was relieved and sang to herself as she wiped the dishes and put them away. She had given Ma her favourite sausages for dinner and every scrap had been eaten.

She was just about to put the kettle on the stove to make their tea when she heard Ma’s voice, raised and angry. Jenny dashed into the front room and saw Ma standing up and waving her stick at two people. Concerned about Ma, Jenny took little notice of them until she had hold of the elderly woman and steadied her. Then she looked up to see who was causing the commotion.

The breath caught in her throat when she saw her Aunt Gertrude and Greaves with looks of distaste on their faces. Jenny’s first reaction was fury that these people should dare to turn up their noses at Ma’s front room. The furniture might be shabby and well worn, but the place was spotlessly clean.

‘There you are!’ Aunt Gertrude stepped forward as if to take hold of Jenny, but Ma fended her off with her stick.

‘You keep your hands off my girl, you evil old hag!’ Ma brandished the stick menacingly, leaving no one in any doubt that she would love to give the glowering woman in front of her a good whack. ‘I’ve heard all about you. You’re a right nasty pair, and that’s for sure!’

Gertrude Osborne stepped back. ‘Get your things, Eugenie, you are coming with us.’

‘No, I’m not!’ Jenny coaxed Ma back to her chair, but held her hand all the time. She wasn’t going to let them upset Ma like this.

‘How did you find me?’

‘You were seen outside the Town Hall yesterday by someone who knows you. They followed you to be sure of where you lived, and then they came to me,’ Greaves said with some satisfaction.

Jenny could guess who that was and gave a snort of disgust. ‘That must have been Gerry, mother’s old footman. Still after the reward, is he?’

‘Of course.’ Greaves had a smug look on his face. ‘One hundred pounds is a temptation to any young man. I’m surprised it’s taken this long.’

‘Well, you’ve wasted your time coming here, because I’m not leaving. And I’ve certainly no intention of coming to live with you!’ The expression on her face must have shown her distaste, for she saw him clench his fists in anger. It wouldn’t take much to make him lash out, she realized. This was the confrontation she had dreaded – and yet, now it had happened, she wasn’t frightened of them. The only emotion she felt was loathing.