‘How did you get on today?’ his father asked, effectively changing the subject.

Matt explained about his success in stripping down the engine and putting it back together.

‘How many bits did you have left over?’ Luke laughed.

‘Not one,’ he told them with a sense of pride.

‘Well done,’ his father said, happy now the vexing subject of the girl had been dropped.

The conversation turned to general topics and the Stannard family indulged in their usual friendly banter. The unpleasant incidents of the day seemed to have been forgotten.

There were people hurrying to and from the trains, and Jenny pretended to be studying the map of the stations on the wall. She was utterly lost and bewildered. Any hope of finding shelter here for the night had vanished. An underground railway station was no place for a young girl by herself. There were already some rather unsavoury-looking characters around, and one was eyeing her in the way that Greaves had. What was she going to do? Could she afford a hotel for one night? That idea was instantly dismissed. What little money she had would have to be used sparingly. But she couldn’t wander around London all night. Her insides churned alarmingly. The thought was terrifying!

She touched the pendant round her neck. At least she still had that. She’d have to go to the pawnbroker tomorrow and sell it … Lambeth! Glad and Fred. They’d said she could go to them if she was in trouble – and she certainly was in trouble. Why hadn’t she thought of that before? They would take her in for one night, or at least show her somewhere safe to sleep. Then she could decide what to do in the morning.

Galvanized into action, Jenny searched her bag for the address, letting out a ragged sigh when she found it. The paper was torn but still legible. Thank goodness she always carried it with her. Now that she’d made up her mind, she wanted to get there as quickly as possible. In less than an hour it would be dark. She hurried to buy a ticket to Lambeth.

‘How do I get there?’ she asked nervously.

The man peered over the top of his glasses and leant on the counter. ‘You get on a train going to Oxford Circus, change there to the Bakerloo Line and that will take you to Lambeth North.’

‘Thank you.’ She hurried down the crowded stairs, stopping to see what platform she needed, then rushed to get on the train just thundering into the station.

‘Excuse me.’ Jenny stopped a woman outside Lambeth North Station. ‘Could you tell me where Forest Road is, please?’

‘Take a left turn at the bottom of the road opposite you, then left again into Park Street, halfway down there you’ll see a road on the right, that’s Forest.’

‘Thank you.’ But Jenny was speaking to herself; the woman was already hurrying away.