Ruby pouted like a spoiled child and just for an instant Miss Fox spotted the lively young woman she had once been and she softened. ‘Come along, we’ll go through them together and that way you can keep your favourite pieces,’ she suggested encouragingly. ‘Then we’re going to have to cut our cloth accordingly even if it means moving to a smaller house as I originally suggested. We’ve obviously been living above our means and we rattle around in this place anyway now.’

Her face set in a sullen moue, Ruby watched as the older woman carried a number of small boxes to the table and began to open them. There were rubies, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and pearls – all bought by Ruby’s one-time admirers.

‘See?’ Miss Fox sighed. ‘There are far more here than you could ever wear anyway, so choose the ones you like most and want to keep.’

Ruby’s hand shot out like a greedy child’s and within seconds the majority of the boxes were piled up in front of her.

‘I’m sorry, love, but that’s too many,’ Miss Fox said patiently. ‘Let’s try again.’ Eventually she had a number of very high-class jewellery items selected and rising with her booty, she told Ruby, ‘There’s no time like the present, is there? I’m going to the pawnshop right now to see what I can get for them.’

Ruby was clearly very far from happy. ‘Then can you at least just pawn them? Please don’t sell them.’

‘And what would be the point in that? You and I both know that the chances of us ever being able to afford to redeem them are slim now. No, it will be far better if I sell them, but don’t worry, I’m no fool and I’m not about to let them go for a pittance.’ She then gathered the bills together too and sailed from the room as Ruby watched her go with a deep frown on her face. Interfering old cow! she thought, then crossing to the decanter she poured a generous measure of brandy into a glass and tossed it back in one go.

By the time Miss Fox returned almost two hours later, Ruby was merry again. ‘Did you get a good price for the jewels?’ she immediately enquired, holding out her hand for the cash before the other woman had barely had time to enter the room.

Miss Fox removed her hat and patted the sparse grey bun perched at the nape of her neck. ‘I most certainly did, but it’s no use asking for the money. I’ve paid all the bills up to date on the way back, so there’s precious little left, and from now on we’re going to count our pennies like everyone else is having to do. I shall be responsible for the household expenses in future, and the first thing I shall be cutting back on is the wine bill. That was the highest of them all. You’re actually paying a great sum of money to kill yourself!’