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First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2018
Copyright © Dilly Court 2018
Jacket Photographs: © Gordon Crabb/Alison Eldred (Girl); © Heritage Image Partnership Ltd/Alamy (street scene), © Shutterstock.com (all other images)
Cover design by Claire Ward © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018
Dilly Court asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the authorâs imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
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Source ISBN: 9780008199685
Ebook Edition © November 2018 ISBN: 9780008199692
Version: 2018-10-01
Rose leaned over the railings, peering into the fog that had crept up on the steamship as it entered the Thames Estuary. It was even thicker when they arrived in Bow Creek, and as the vessel slid gracefully into the dock they were engulfed in a peasouper, making it impossible to distinguish the faces of the individuals waiting to greet the passengers.
âIs he there, love?â
Rose turned to give the small woman a weary smile. âI canât see very far, Mrs Parker. But Iâd know him anywhere, and I canât spot anyone who looks remotely like him.â
Adele Parker laid her gloved hand on Roseâs arm. âDonât worry, dear. Iâm sure your young man is there somewhere.â
âMax promised to meet me.â Rose could not quite keep a note of desperation from her voice. âWe planned it all so carefully.â
âThen Iâm sure heâll be here soon. Itâll take a while for the crew to put the gangplank in place and unload the luggage.â Adele wrapped her shawl more tightly around her plump body. âItâs so cold and damp. Weâve been away for five years and Iâve almost forgotten what the English winter is like.â
âI was only nine when we left for Australia,â Rose said, sighing. âBut thereâs nothing to keep me in Bendigo now.â
Adele gave her a searching look. âHow old are you, Rose?â
âIâm eighteen, maâam.â
âI do worry about you, dear. I sympathise with you and your young man, but you do know you canât marry without your parentsâ consent, donât you?â
âIâm an orphan. Ma died when I was very young and Pa was killed in a mining accident a year ago. He gave up the sea because he thought he could make more money in a gold mine. It was a bad move.â
âYou didnât tell me that, you poor dear.â Adela gave her a hug. âYouâre a brave girl, Rose. I wish you all the luck in the world.â
âThank you.â Rose returned the embrace. Adele had shown her nothing but kindness during their time at sea, and, despite the difference in their ages, they had become good friends.
âWeâll be staying with my mother-in-law, who lives in Elder Street, Spitalfields,â Adele said gently. âI forget the number of the house but it has a black door with a lionâs head knocker. Ma-in-law is very proud of that.â
Rose smiled vaguely. âThat sounds nice.â
âIf you need anything just come and see me.â Adele craned her neck at the sound of the movement from a lower deck. âThe gangplank is in place. I must find Mr Parker.â She started off in the direction of the companionway, but she hesitated, glancing over her shoulder. âWeâll be catching the next train from Canning Town. Youâre more than welcome to travel with us if your young man doesnât put in an appearance.â