Kitty grinned ruefully. ‘It is, but I have to call her Ruby or Aunt.’ When Maggie raised a puzzled eyebrow, she went on, ‘It’s a long story. I’ll tell you all about it one of these days.’ It was then that she had an idea, and grabbing Maggie’s hand she began to haul her along, saying, ‘I know who might be able to put you up for a while. Come with me.’

They walked back to the house in silence. Kitty noticed that Maggie seemed tired and dispirited, but then that was to be expected after what the girl had been through. She entered the kitchen garden from the gate at the back of the house and just as she had hoped there was young Arthur hoeing amongst the vegetables.

‘Psst! Arthur – over here!’

He glanced up, somewhat surprised to see Kitty standing over by the shed where he stored his tools and beckoning to him. They couldn’t be seen from the kitchen window from there so he laid down his hoe and hurried across, noting that another young woman was with her.

‘Do you think your mother might be interested in taking in a lodger – just for a few days?’ she asked, getting straight to the point.

Arthur scratched his head. ‘Well, we ain’t really got the room,’ he answered truthfully. But Kitty wasn’t going to give in that easily.

‘I just need somewhere for my friend here to stay,’ she went on. ‘And I’d pay well. Five shillings for two nights for a start-off. How does that sound?’

Arthur’s eyes almost popped out of his head at the promise of such an amount. He already had the sixpence from this morning. With eggs at a penny a dozen and a loaf at the same price it would mean he and the family could eat like royalty for weeks. His mum might even be able to pay off a bit of the rent arrears.

‘She’d have to kip down wiv me sisters in their room,’ he said cautiously. ‘An’ we ain’t very posh.’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t mind that at all,’ Maggie piped up. She liked the look of Arthur, and anything was better than the prospect of another night in a shop doorway. London absolutely terrified her.

‘All right then. But you’ll have to wait here till I’m finished work. And it’s a rare old walk to my house, I warn you.’

‘Good, that’s settled then.’ Kitty beamed her thanks at him. ‘Now I’ll go and get you the money and coax Cook into giving me and Maggie something to eat.’ The baked potato had, she knew, barely touched the sides, and she was sure that Maggie was still ravenous.

Maggie followed her down the path and as they entered the kitchen the cook raised her eyes.

‘Ah, Cook,’ Kitty said breezily, pulling out a chair for Maggie at the kitchen table. ‘This is my friend, Maggie. We used to live together and we just bumped into each other. Is there any chance of you rustling up a meal for her?’