Charlie objected strenuously to my proposal of going undercover among the prostitutes of Whitechapel to find Emer.

"Odd 'un, look at you; listen to you. You'd spook 'em." He eyeballed me over his teacup. We were back in the Maplin Road kitchen.

"Hey," I protested weakly, because I knew he was right. "How about you, then?"

Charlie, mid-sip, almost spat out his tea. "As what?" he said.

I eyed him and raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Bloody hell, odd 'un." He set down his cup and howled with laughter. "I'm half-tempted," he said, puffing out his chest. "Reckon I'd make a pretty nancy boy? 'Course, business is better for that type up Piccadilly way from what I hear. Us East End men is more traditional."

"You could do it, though," I said. "You could question the women about Emer."

He gave me a long-suffering look and sighed. "I could, odd 'un, and for you I would."

You're finding your future wife, I thought to myself. "Thank you," I said, leaning over the table and pecking him on the cheek.

An hour later, he stomped out of the house. Mrs. Lawrence asked where he was going; his reply was: "Ask Emma, mum. I'll be back in a few hours."

Mrs. Lawrence turned her gaze on me. "He's just running an errand," I said sweetly.

"I hope you know what you're doing, luvvie," said Mrs. Lawrence, shaking her head.

I was about to reply, then reconsidered. I had the feeling Mrs. Lawrence had more in mind than Charlie's "errand".

I waited in the kitchen until the sun had gone down and the temperature had plunged. Amy had come in, stuck her head into the kitchen to say hello, and vanished upstairs. Mrs. Lawrence had dozed off in her chair; I could hear the snores coming from the front room. I heard the latch click and jumped up.

"Well?" I said.

"Nothing," said Charlie. "Sorry, odd 'un. The girls said Emer had been there for a while, they hadn't seen her for ages, 'cept one night a coupler weeks ago."

"I wonder if that was around when she gave up Alice," I said.

"Could be," said Charlie. "At any rate, they ain't seen her since. Sorry I couldn't bring you more news."

"Thank you for trying, Charlie," I said.

He gave me a half-smile. "Come here," he said.

I went, and he enveloped me in a hug. "We'll find her, you'll see."

I breathed in his scent, listened to the beating of his heart, and wondered whether I even wanted to find Emer Connolly. Because if I found her, I'd have to give him up.

* * *

"How can I help you, Miss Scott?" said Miss Carstares. Her nails were beautifully manicured, and her dress screamed bespoke.

"I've been thinking," I said. "I am so impressed by what you're doing here. I want to help more than just by doing filing. Is there anything else you need help with?"

"Oh." Miss Carstares set down her pen. "Well, I appreciate your initiative, Miss Scott."

"I strive to follow your example," I said. I felt like I might throw up a little in my mouth.

"How well did you study your English grammar?" she asked.

"Very well--deeply," I said, hoping she wouldn't ask me about the parts of speech.

"Miss Davidson currently writes up my journal," said Miss Carstares, "but her writing lacks style. Give me a sample of your writing, neatly typeset. If I like what I read, then you may act part-time as my personal secretary."

"Thank you," I said. "It would be an immense honour."

"We women must support each other," said Miss Carstares. "Is there anything else, Miss Scott?"

"Miss Carstares..." I hesitated. "I wondered why applicants for the casual ward are checked against a list? Is there a list of approved residents?"

Miss Carstares gave me a puzzled look. "Not at all," she said. "The casual ward is intended as emergency shelter only. Vagrants may only sleep there one night a month. If they have come back before one month has passed, they will be turned away. Where does this question come from?"

"Just something I noticed in one of the files," I said.

"It is good that you have an inquiring mind, Miss Scott, but it would benefit from some focus."

"Of course, thank you for the advice, Miss Carstares," I said.

Miss Carstares nodded and picked up her pen. I showed myself out of her office, thinking furiously. So that warden at the workhouse hadn't been checking people were on the list; he had been making sure they weren't.

And Emer's mother had been a dead end, so I was back to the plan I'd been mulling over for a week or more: checking myself into the workhouse to see whether I could either find Emer, or find something that could tell me where she was.

* * *

A week passed while I was musing on this question. On the Friday evening, there was a social dance at the People's Palace. Amy had already fixed on it that we were all going-Charlie, and me, and Albie and Enid, and Cathy and Sheila, and some of Charlie's friends whose names were Fred, Joe and Alan.

Amy arrived home from work earlier than usual and bustled me upstairs. She crouched down next the chest full of Hannah's clothes. "I know Han used to have one half decent party dress that might fit you," she said, "if it's not too dowdy."

I sat on the bed and watched. Eventually Amy fished out a duck egg blue floor-length dress with a fitted bodice and some yellowed lace around the neck. "Oh no," she said. "No." She set it aside and headed for her own wardrobe.

I was superfluous to this exercise, so I flopped back with my head against the pillow and tracked the spreading damp on the ceiling with my eyes.

"Here," said Amy. "This should fit you. Mum made it for me last year."

I levered myself up. It was a drop-waisted green dress, ankle-length, with cap sleeves. Around the hips was a low sash. "Oh, lovely," I said without conviction, because I knew I'd look like a mossy sack of potatoes in a dress like that.

Not that it mattered what I looked like.

Amy threw the dress in my direction. "Get it on, then," she said, and turned back to the wardrobe to select her own outfit.

I took off my blouse and skirt and pulled the dress over my head. The dress had buttons under the right arm, which I eventually managed to do up myself. Then I got the rest of myself in order, pulled my hair back, and put my shoes on.

"Such a pity about your shoes," Amy said.

I looked down at the sensible black lace-ups and nodded regretfully. "My feet are too big for your or Hannah's shoes," I said.

"Well, we can spruce them up a bit." Amy produced two black satin ribbons, which I stared at blankly until she added, "For the laces."

"Oh," I said. "Um. It's okay, really."

I was stared down. Eventually I sighed and sat back down on the bed, pulled the shoes off, removed the string laces, and relaced them with ribbon. Meanwhile, Amy fixed her hair.

"Much better, don't you think?" Amy said when I stood up.

I looked down and nodded. "Thank you."

We went downstairs together. Charlie, Albie and Enid were lounging around the living room. Charlie was dressed in the same tweed suit he'd worn for our trip west, and had a fresh collar and tie on. He stood up when I came in.

"Belle of the ball," he said.

I made a face at him.

"You don't look half-bad either, Amy," Charlie added.

"Hark, here's a smooth one," said Amy.

"Off you go then," said Mrs. Lawrence, shooing us towards the door. Laughing, we went.