Relief swept through Jenny. She’d been dreading doing this on her own and these seemed nice people. ‘I really would appreciate it.’

‘Come on, then, let’s see what we can squeeze out of the mean old sod.’ Glad took Jenny’s arm and steered her in the right direction.

They’d been walking for only about five minutes when Jenny spotted the three brass balls hanging outside the shop. Once inside she gazed around in wonder. It was dingy and packed to the ceiling with goods of every description. There was a short, rotund man behind the counter, almost bald with a few strands of grey hair smoothed across his shining head.

‘Hello, Fred, Glad. What can I do for you today?’

‘Not us. It’s our young friend here. She’s got some things to pawn.’ Fred turned his back on the man and whispered in Jenny’s ear, ‘You leave this to us.’

‘Let’s see what you’ve got.’ The shopkeeper sounded impatient.

She emptied the contents of her bag on the counter. The man went for the jewellery immediately; a magnifying glass appeared rapidly from his waistcoat pocket and he clamped it to his eye. It seemed to take him ages as he examined each item carefully, uttering only a grunt now and again. Suddenly he looked up, dropping the eyeglass into his hand.

‘Where’d you get these things? I ain’t taking nothing what’s been pinched.’

‘Stolen,’ Fred muttered for her benefit.

‘They’re mine!’ In her panic Jenny forgot about not speaking. She just had to have some money! She gazed imploringly at Fred and Glad. ‘They are mine. Honest!’

Glad patted her arm. ‘Don’t you take no notice of Uncle, ducky, he’s as bent as a four-penny piece. All he’s trying to do is get your nice things for as little money as he can.’

Jenny was relieved they were here because it was so difficult to understand these strange ways; if she’d been on her own, she’d have run out of the shop in horror.

‘Stop playing games,’ Fred growled. ‘The kid’s desperate enough to bring her to Lambeth, so what’re you going to give her?’

‘Two quid for the lot.’

‘What?’ Jenny was horrified. That wouldn’t last her very long. ‘But the dresses cost a lot and the jewellery is real gold!’

‘I don’t have much call for posh frocks round here, and –’

‘I’ll go somewhere else, then.’ She didn’t give him a chance to finish speaking and reached out to gather up her precious things. There must be other pawnbrokers around. If she didn’t get more than that, her plan to run away would come to nothing. And that frightened her more than this peculiar man standing in front of her.

The pawnbroker slapped his hands over the jewellery before she could remove it from the counter. ‘Let’s not be ’asty.’