‘You must be Ma Adams’s girl, then.’

‘I am,’ Jenny acknowledged with some pride.

‘Good, come and help me get this bloody china unpacked. Christmas only two weeks away and my old man has to fall over. Says he didn’t see the pub step.’ Bet Hawkins let out a howl of laughter. ‘He steps over the bleeding thing every night, you’d think he’d know it was there by now!’

‘I expect he’s sorry now.’ Jenny fought back a grin, not sure if she should show she was amused.

That produced another bellow. ‘He’ll be even sorrier ‘cos I’m gonna make him pay your wages.’

Jenny joined in the laughter then. She’d got the job!

‘Let’s get this lot on the stall.’

Without wasting time, Jenny pitched in, setting out china as instructed. There were also loads of boxes of tea cloths, and she couldn’t believe her eyes. ‘Can you sell all these?’

‘I don’t buy nothing I can’t shift.’ Bet separated them into bundles of ten. ‘All we gotta do is get a crowd round us and they’ll go.’

‘How much are you going to charge?’

Bet’s ample frame began to shake with laughter. ‘My God, they said you had a posh way of talking. My customers are gonna love you.’ She held up a cup, crooked her little finger and tried to imitate Jenny’s accent. ‘Roll up, roll up.’

It was such a sorry attempt that they both ended up with tears running down their faces.

‘Oh,’ Bet said, wiping her eyes, ‘I ain’t laughed so much for years.’

Neither had she, Jenny realized.

‘People are coming to see what we’re up to. Just follow my lead and talk posh. That’ll get their attention.’

The next two hours were hilarious as she watched Bet at work. The pile of tea cloths was already much smaller. They were concentrating on selling those first.

‘How much?’ a newcomer in the crowd shouted.

‘You have a go,’ Bet said. ‘I’m right parched after all that shouting.’

‘Two and sixpence to you, sir.’ Jenny used her best Templeton School accent, and the crowd erupted into laughter.

‘Bloody hell!’ the man yelled. ‘Where’d you find her, Bet?’

‘Good, ain’t she?’

The crowd had grown in size, attracted by the laughter, and they had everyone’s attention.

‘She is that, but I still ain’t paying half a crown. That’s robbery.’

‘Two shillings, then, sir.’ Jenny was thoroughly enjoying herself.

‘One and threepence for a dozen and I’ll take a ton.’

‘One and fivepence and it’s a deal.’ Jenny was confident because she knew this was above what Bet was prepared to accept.

‘All right.’ The man pushed forward, rolling his eyes and joking with the crowd. ‘Who can resist such a fine lady?’