Edna laughed again. ‘Yeah, you can’t hang about in this job. What school did you go to?’

‘One in Lambeth. You wouldn’t know it.’ Jenny’s heart raced. That was careless of her.

‘You come from Lambeth?’

‘Yes.’

‘You don’t sound as if you do.’

Jenny’s mind was working like mad. One unguarded remark and the questions came. ‘Blame that on my dad; he was a stickler for talking proper.’

Edna’s ready laugh erupted again. ‘I’m glad you came, Jen. The last girl was a right misery, but you’re nice. You come to me if you need help. I’ll see you’re all right.’

Jenny turned her head and smiled at Edna in the gloom. ‘Thanks. I’m glad I came too. Can we be friends?’

‘Sure, I’d like that. We can go out together on our time off.’

‘That would be nice.’

‘Yeah, night, Jen.’

‘Goodnight, Edna.’

Once again the silent tears began to flow, but the new under housemaid was determined to make this the last time.

The weeks passed and Jenny grew in confidence. For the first couple of weeks she’d been on edge waiting for her Aunt Gertrude to storm in and drag her back. But when nothing happened, she began to relax. They had probably given up looking for her, and anyway they would never think that she was working as a servant.

The work was harder than she could ever have imagined, but with Edna’s help she soon fell into the routine. Her hands had toughened up and were not giving her as much trouble now – cook’s special cream was good stuff. Mrs Douglas was so pleased with her willingness to work without complaint that she had been made a permanent member of the staff already. She didn’t dare look too far into the future because the outlook was bleak. But for the moment she was housed, clothed, fed, paid and her aunt hadn’t found her. That was enough for now.

6

There was a good fire burning in the grate; the curtains were drawn across the windows to keep out the cold December weather; a mother and father were reading peacefully with their three sons around them. An idyllic family scene, but Matt Stannard was about to disturb the calm.

He laid his book aside, drew in a deep breath and said, ‘I’m not going back to university, Father.’

His father looked up from his newspaper, seemingly unperturbed by his youngest son’s announcement. ‘Having difficulty managing on your allowance, are you? I’ll see what I can do in the New Year.’

‘It hasn’t anything to do with money.’ Matt stood up. His father was a reasonable man, but he wasn’t going to like this. ‘I mean it. I’m not studying any more. I’ve finished with Oxford. I’m going out to work.’