Lofty pushed a girl off his knee and grabbed the hand of another. ‘Come on, Lil! You can take this lad in hand.’ He stopped and guffawed. ‘You know what I’m getting at. It’s time he learned what’s what.’

Dora was plump, with breasts that threatened to escape from the bodice of her dress, and a face elaborately rouged and powdered. Gus cowered as she bore down on him.

‘Come along, sweetheart! There’s nothing to be afraid of. Why don’t you come upstairs with Dora, eh?’

‘No!’ Gus squirmed out of her grasp and got to his feet. ‘I … I don’t feel well. I think I’m going to be …’

He made it out of the door just in time and threw up in the gutter.

He was sitting on the kerb, sweating in the heat and longing for a drink of water, when a voice said, ‘You all right, mister?’

A girl about his own age was standing a few feet away. She was neatly dressed in a blue pinafore and her hair was a mass of golden ringlets.

Gus passed his tongue over his lips and swallowed. ‘I’m … I’m thirsty. Do you know where I can get a drink of water?’

‘Come with me.’ The girl held out her hand. ‘I’ll show you.’

Gus blinked at her. Was this another invitation, like Dora’s? He couldn’t believe that this girl was associated with the place he had just left. Could he trust her?

She began to move away, impatiently. ‘Are you coming, or not?’

Gus got unsteadily to his feet. She seemed unthreatening, and he couldn’t just sit where he was. The men from the ship would be out any minute, and he could not face them. She came back and took hold of his hand.

‘My name’s Victoria. You can call me Vicky. What’s yours?

‘Gus,’ he mumbled.

She led him along the road and round a corner to the entrance of an imposing building. A sign above it read ‘CROFT’S HOTEL’. He hung back.

‘I can’t go in there.’

‘Why not?’

‘I … I’m not smart enough. That’s where the toffs go.’

‘It’s where I go,’ she said. ‘My dad owns it. Come on.’

He followed her into the cool shade of the vestibule and heard her say, ‘It’s all right, Georgy. This is one of the sailors from the steamer. I’m taking him to see Mama.’

She led him up a flight of stairs, along a corridor and into a room like no other he had ever seen. Large windows opened onto a veranda, overlooking a garden full of trees and flowers he could not name. There were easy chairs and pictures on the walls and carpet on the floor.

A woman rose from one of the chairs. ‘Goodness me, Victoria. Who have you got here?’

‘His name is Gus. He’s from the steamer and he’s not feeling very well.’

The woman came closer and bent her head towards Gus. She sniffed. ‘I can see why. Who’s been buying you drinks, Gus?’