A group of men turned into the street, singing at the tops of their voices and reeling about all over the place. Drunk! In panic Jenny hammered on the front door. Oh, please be in, she prayed. The men had seen her and were already calling out; from the remarks they were making, they were obviously intent on having a bit of fun. She picked up her case and glanced around for somewhere to hide, but there wasn’t anywhere. It was a narrow street of terraced houses as far as she could see, without even a small gap between them. She was just about to bolt as the door opened. When she saw Fred’s kindly face a tear trickled down her cheek in relief.

‘I need help, please!’

Fred peered at her in the gloom.

‘I’m Jenny.’

‘Well, I’ll be blowed, so it is.’ He stepped back and opened the door wide. ‘Come in.’

She practically ran in. The front door opened straight into the living room and Glad was already on her feet.

‘My dear child, whatever’s happened to you? You’re in a right state.’

That was too much for Jenny’s frayed nerves. She stood in the middle of the room, head bowed, and sobbed her heart out. Now she was safe, the horror of what had happened this evening was too much to bear. She’d lost her job, been accused of being a thief, and had to leave Edna behind. She tried to pull herself together, being ashamed of carrying on like this in front of people she hardly knew.

Fred took the case out of her hands. ‘There, don’t take on so. You’re all right now. Put the kettle on, Glad.’

‘Come and sit down.’

A young woman took her arm and pushed her gently into a chair. It was only then that she looked around and saw that the tiny room was crowded with people. She wiped her eyes, blew her nose and gulped. ‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come here, but I didn’t know what else to do.’

Glad put a cup of tea in her hand. ‘We told you to come to us if you was in trouble, didn’t we?’

‘I know but it’s such an imposition.’

Fred grinned. ‘Still using those long words, are you? Drink your tea now.’

Her hands were shaking so much it was difficult to bring the cup to her lips, but she managed it without spilling too much. After a couple of mouthfuls she began to feel calmer. Fred and Glad were just as she remembered them. They wouldn’t turn her out.

‘I was going to try to sleep at Marble Arch Station,’ she told them.

Fred tutted. ‘You couldn’t do that. It’s much too dangerous for a young girl.’