‘I’ll certainly find out what’s available. It may be more fun to sit with the rest of the audience though.’ Ursula stood up from the stool and began to braid her hair. ‘I think this birthday is important. My mother gave me a handbag for my thirteenth birthday. It was blue to match my eyes, and I’ve been thinking I would like to do the same for Ann. A bag to match those green eyes of hers.’

‘What does a girl of thirteen want with a handbag?’

Ursula sighed. ‘Where shall I start? To begin with, dresses don’t have proper pockets. We put our handkerchiefs up our sleeves. Without a bag, we have nowhere to put our coin purses, and nowhere to put a comb or . . .’ she paused ‘ . . . other necessaries.’

John stared at Ursula. ‘She hasn’t . . .?’

She twisted an elastic band around the end of her braid and walked across to the bed.

‘No, but it may not be long. Another year, perhaps.’

‘A handbag is an excellent suggestion.’ He closed his book and put it on his bedside table. ‘Would you like me to come with you to choose it?’ The tone of his voice clearly indicated that he could think of few chores that would be worse.

Ursula smiled. ‘Your presence will not be required. I think I can manage on my own. It’s the first birthday since I became part of the family and I would like to make it special for her.’ She folded the eiderdown back and slipped between the sheets, snuggling down until her head was on his shoulder. ‘I know it isn’t until April, but I should like to know that I’ve managed to find just the right thing.’

‘It seems like only yesterday that she was born in the Bruntsfield flat. We didn’t make it to the nursing home across the Meadows. It was about twenty minutes from start to finish. No time for a midwife or a doctor. Louise wanted another boy, and was determined to call him Anthony, but we got Ann instead.’ John pulled Ursula close. ‘Such a lot has happened since then. It hasn’t always been easy, but I am a very lucky man to have you as my wife.’

Chapter 11

January 1911

Ursula had a Plan with a capital P. She would go to Robert Maule’s department store at the foot of Lothian Road. If they didn’t have what she wanted, she would walk along Princes Street to Jenners, and if that failed, she would go to R.W. Forsyth. Surely there would be something suitable in one of the three biggest stores in the city.