‘You are. Everyone does.’ Ruby pulls the green handbag tighter under her armpit and leans forward to kiss Harriet on the cheek. ‘Thanks for the bun, though. I enjoyed that.’ She grins and her face is full of that same vitality and energy that Harriet had glimpsed outside Mr Enderby’s. Now she cannot help but smile back.

She watches Ruby disappear over the river, a hand on her cheek, trying to decide whether she should call after her, until it is too late and she is too far away to hear.

Then she sees the small figure turn and raise an arm; Ruby is waving to her. Harriet waves back and keeps waving even when Ruby gives up and continues on her way. She waves until Ruby has disappeared, her face glowing and her heart almost bursting.

35

35

Monday afternoon

Ruby pulls the bank notes from her pocket and sits counting them on her bed at Solly’s, along with the money Peter gave her. The green handbag and the half a dozen pairs of gloves have been shoved under the bed. Perhaps she will take them to Grace Bartlett’s warehouse one day. Perhaps not. She is determined to share some of her money with Daisy. Daisy is the main reason she crossed back over the river when it would have been easier to remain in Soho. Maybe she’ll take her some smokes and a bag of sweets as well. Aniseed balls. Daisy loves those.

Ruby has a lot of money now. Hard cash, and it’s all hers because she is no longer a member of the Forty Thieves.

But what is she?

She is hardly the same as Daisy Gould. Not with so much money in her hands.

She picks up a diamond earring that is lying next to the bank notes and watches it catch the light that is streaming in through her bedroom window. She brings its twin close to her eye, letting her gaze shift out of focus so that she can see only a rainbow of colour. There is a tiny glimmer of fire in every stone.

A gift from Peter.

When the police had finally left the club, he had carried her upstairs to his flat. They had spent the whole of Sunday in bed.

She is his Venus, he tells her. His evening star. The one who allows him to forget his troubles.

She ignores the memory of the blood on his hands and the disquiet lurking deep within her bones. She knows what he is. But, for now, he says that he adores her, and, for now, that is all she wants.

She hears a familiar voice. Maggs is in the kitchen with Solly, shouting for her.

Ruby slouches out of her room, shoeless.

‘I thought I heard you,’ is all that Solly says as he reaches for an extra teacup. ‘Told Maggs you were here.’