Ruby has been walking for nearly half an hour, and the heels of her shoes are caked with the mud and slime of the cobbles. The taxicab would not bring her to the Borough – and certainly not to a street like this. Even Ralph Christie could not give her enough money to buy that sort of service. It had been as much as she could do to persuade the driver to cross the river at all. He had taken her as far as St Saviour’s Church, and only when he heard her natural Cockney did he allow her to leave the vehicle, secure in the knowledge that she – and his hubcaps – would be safe enough.

She is still wearing last night’s dress, having not returned to her flat or to Solly’s. It peeps from the folds of her plain coat as she walks, an emerald flash of brilliance on an otherwise dull day. Her shoes are probably ruined. She does not care. She can afford a new pair now. Her insurance paid up.

It is early afternoon, she guesses. Most of the ordinary shops are already shut up for their half day. She slept in Ralph’s bed for what seemed like hours after he left. She had not slept at all during the night.

She reaches into her coat pocket and plucks out a fine gold pocket watch to check the time. Ten past two. She runs a thumb over the case before hiding it away again. Her stomach rumbles as she catches the scent of pastry from a pie shop that is still open. She stops to buy two pies and continues on her way, eating one of them from the paper bag.

She reaches Daisy Gould’s house and bangs on the door.

It is ajar, so she pushes it and shouts a loud ‘hello’ as she enters.

‘Ruby? Is that you?’ Daisy’s voice is tentative. She inches herself down the staircase like an animal in pain.

‘I brought you some breakfast. Pie.’

‘Thanks.’ She lingers on the stairs, in the shadows. She is still in the dirty nightdress.

‘You on your own?’ Ruby holds out the paper bag.

‘Yeah.’ She takes the bag and sniffs it, before tearing it open and bolting down the food as though she’s not eaten for days.

‘Careful. You’ll make yourself sick.’

Daisy doesn’t answer. She shoves the food into her mouth, making small grunting noises as she eats. Finally, she lets out a sigh. ‘Oh, that was good, Ruby. You’re a good friend. I needed that.’

‘I can see.’ Daisy is even thinner than the last time she saw her. ‘I brought you something else. I’ve got money. Lots of it.’

Daisy’s body starts to tremble. ‘You brought me money?’ She presses her lips together to stop herself from sobbing.