As she went to go out into the street, a bell rang and there came a sudden sound like a wave breaking behind her. A tide of feet were descending stairs somewhere in the building and as she emerged to the street which was now thronging with dinner-time busyness, women began to pour out past her, through the door. She barely got a look at any of them as they were all rushing so fast. She just had an impression of drab clothes and a variety of faces, all pale, of varying ages, all intent on getting out of the building. Annie managed to move out of the way and found Margaret pressed against the wall, trying not to be pushed along by the surge of people.

‘I’m starting tomorrow!’ she cried, in triumph.

‘But Annie, you’ve never done any such work before.’ Aunt Hatt looked disturbed and cross at this news.

‘I told him I’m a fast learner,’ Annie said. ‘He said there’s nothing to it – I’ll be stamping out pen nibs.’

‘I know it’s unskilled work, but they have to work very fast – your fingers’ll be cut to ribbons.’

‘I want to try it,’ Annie insisted. ‘And Uncle did say he wanted us to work. We’ll be in the way otherwise, won’t we?’

Aunt Hatt did not argue with this, but her eyes were full of doubt.

‘Well,’ she conceded. ‘I can see you’re a determined young madam so on your head be it. Everyone’s got to start somewhere. If you’re no good, you’ll be out. But I really don’t know what your mother would have said.’

‘I’m sure Mother would have said it’d do us good to see a bit of life,’ Annie argued. Their grandfather, Mother and Eb’s father, had been a jewel setter a few streets away and Leah – or Lilian – had started her working life in his workshop. ‘She said honest work never did her any harm.’

Aunt Hatt stared back. There was not much she could say to argue with this.

By that evening, their arrival the day before seemed years ago to Margaret. They all sat round the table for the evening meal and Uncle Eb chuckled heartily at the news that Annie had gone and found herself a job.

‘Well – you’re a one, aren’t you?’ He looked at Annie with amused admiration. ‘There’s still the offer of a job for you here, Margaret,’ he said. ‘I could do with one more polisher out the back!’

Margaret blushed, not knowing what she should say.

‘Oh, leave her alone, Eb,’ Aunt Hatt said. ‘Our Margaret’s too delicate for this sort of thing. I can find her plenty to do without that. We’re rushed off our feet in the office.’