She spent the better part of the day scraping up whatever money she could. She sold the gowns for a fairly good price, not losing much money because they weren't ever worn. Then she sold things like the fancy flatware her father had given her, nick knacks, stupid things that wouldn't necessarily make a house a home. Then she counted the money and breathed a sigh of relief. They could find a place to stay, a flat perhaps, and they would be fine.

She then bought stuff for dinner and decided they would celebrate. She stretched the coin she used to buy a chicken, which she turned into a roasted dinner with mashed potatoes, gravy, bread, vegetables from the garden that Tilly kept, herbs from the same garden flavoring said chicken... There was even a cherry tart that she baked.

Hopefully there would be more good news to celebrate when he got to the house.

Joe's hands were rammed into his jacket pockets as he walked. The earlier spring in his step gone now that the railway had said no to signing him back on. Man and boy he'd worked there, and knew little else. He couldn't disappoint Pearl. He was enraptured with feeling sorry for himself, then the big curling red letters posted caught his eye:

COURAGEOUS MEN WANTED

JOIN THE FIRE BRIGADE

Men Aged 18 to 35.. blah blah blah

"I'll have some of that." Joe said aloud to no one. He knew a thing or two about fire, sparks, and embers having worked on the railways. Ignoring the fine print, he headed straight for the nearby red doors and hopefully a new job.

Pearl sat in the kitchen by the stove, idly pacing as she waited for him to return home so she would know if they could celebrate or not. She even got a bottle of wine out of the deal just in case it was needed for drowning sorrows or for cheering each other. She decided she would become a writer, if nothing else. Perhaps she could write a tell all book on how she survived being a Carrington.

As soon as the key was turned in the lock, the front door was flung open wide.

"Pearl! I'm back! Our problems are over." Joe shouted. He wanted to keep the suspense longer, but youthful excitement got the better of him.

"I've got me a job."

"You did? Oh, Joe, that's wonderful!" She launched herself into his arms and kissed his face all over. "Then it's good that I cooked a celebratory supper... I managed to sell most of my gowns back to the seamstress, and we have a nest egg. Now we just need to find a place to live, right? That is our last hurdle." She led him to the kitchen and then moved to get the food on the table to serve him.

Joe was a bit taken aback. Pearl was all over him, showering him with kisses and she hadn't even asked what his new job was yet. Surely she w- hang about! Joe's brain paused its cogs. He smelt roast chicken, bread, and pie! Questions could wait.

She took his hand and led him to the kitchen. She waited for him to sit before she served him his supper with some cider. She sat down and started to serve herself when she asked, "Tell me about the job, my love. What are you doing?" She was truly happy that they were going to be alright. She didn't know just what he was getting himself into. It didn't matter, in a way, because it would be alright in the end. "I am so happy we're alright."

"Well, it's with the fire brigade. They've taken me on as an apprentice like, one year of training, but that can be shorten to 10 months if I'm good enough. They appreciated my experience with different sorts of cargos from the station and the trains of the railway."

She peered at him in disbelief. Oh, he was doing something dangerous! "Fire brigade? Oh no! What if you get hurt?! What if something happens to you?! What if I lose you?" Panic filled her eyes as she peered at him. "This is my fault, isn't it? Oooh."

"No, no, darlin'. It's no more dangerous than workin' at the station with all them steam locos. Kittens up trees, hot ash in a coal bin, that sort of thing. If there's anything really serious, they'll keep me away, an' let more experienced lads take over." 

The prospect of running into a building engulfed in flames hadn't crossed his mind yet. Pouring water into the flames from the outside, he could do, but would he be able to fight his natural instinct to flee to save a kitten or even a person? 

"A job is job. I get t' 'elp folk when they need it most; surely that's worth t' risk?  Plus I get a uniform too." he said hoping that she might be distracted by such fringe benefits.