He came over immediately, sat beside her and placed his hand over her tightly clenched fist. She uncurled her fingers, holding on, trying to draw some of his strength into her shocked body.

‘Soon after your father’s death,’ Dwight continued, ‘I contacted your mother with the full story. I received a reply from Mrs Osborne, saying that she would be handling your affairs.’

‘But why lie? And why try to make me marry Greaves?’ Jenny wanted the whole story now. For two years she had believed her father had chosen death rather than face poverty, and deep down she had harboured the belief that that was a coward’s way out. And that was something she had found impossible to believe about her father.

‘Money!’ Dwight ground out.

‘But I haven’t any.’ She indicated her worn dress. ‘As you can see.’

‘That isn’t true. Your father made substantial provisions for his children in case anything happened to him. There are insurance policies in your names, and these are unaffected by his losses. I was also able to save the house in America for his wife, but everything else had to go, including the London house. The sum of $25,000 was to come to you at the age of eighteen, or if he died before you reached that age. It was to be controlled by a parent or guardian until you were eighteen. And –’

‘They knew!’ Jenny was on her feet immediately, not giving him a chance to say anything else. She was incandescent with rage. ‘They knew!’

She spun on her heel and charged for the door, only to be stopped by Matthew, who caught her arm. ‘Where are you going?’

‘Going?’ She glared at him in disbelief. ‘I’m going to face those callous, manipulative, selfish bastards. That’s where I’m going!’

Dwight Roberts was on the other side of her, holding her other arm, and she tried to shake herself free. ‘Let go of me!’

‘You’re not going anywhere on your own,’ Matthew threatened.

‘Come if you want, but you’re not going to stop me.’ Freeing herself, she shot out of the room and hurtled down the stairs, with Matthew and Dwight charging after her.

‘Jenny, stop!’ Louise called, but the girl ignored her plea with an expression on her face akin to murder.

Matt grabbed Jenny’s coat and brushed aside the rest of his family, who had gathered in the hall, wanting to know what was going on. Dwight, for all his extra years, was fitter than Matthew and was right on Jenny’s heels.

Jenny was aware of the commotion she was causing, but she had only one thought in her mind: to tell her family what she thought of them. A car drew up beside her and the passenger door was thrown open.

‘Get in,’ Matthew demanded.