‘Tess? Where on earth . . .? Ah, there you are!’

At the sound of Jonty’s voice Tess backed out of the pantry, carrying a large loaf of home-made bread and a full butter dish. She gave a squeak as a blast of icy air blew into the kitchen, and was begging him to shut the door and not let in the snow which had begun to fall when she saw that he was not alone. A slim girl muffled up to the eyebrows in a hooded coat with a scarf wound round her throat was entering behind him.

‘Sorry,’ the girl said, pushing the door closed. ‘That’s mortal cold out there.’ She began to unwind the scarf from round her neck and then to unbutton her coat. ‘I say, it’s lovely and warm in here.’ She smiled brightly at Tess, who could now see that she was fair-haired and blue-eyed and very slim in her navy blue dress. Not a nurse’s uniform, but something perilously close to it, Tess thought.

Smiling, she held out her hand. ‘How do you do? I don’t need anyone to tell me that you must be Pamela Davies, and I expect you can guess that I’m Tess Williams.’

They shook hands. ‘Nice to meet you,’ Pamela Davies said. She turned to Jonty and put a proprietorial hand on his shoulder. ‘I do trust you warned Tess that I’ve been invited to tea. I’m afraid I’m not much use when it comes to cooking a meal, because my mother has always spoiled me and I’ve never learned to cook. But I’ll give you any help I can. I can lay the table, or cut bread and butter it, or do any other menial task which occurs to you . . .’

‘Thanks. It would be nice if you laid the table, but apart from that everything is more or less finished,’ Tess said politely. ‘And whilst we wait for Mr Bell and the farmworkers we can get to know one another.’

Jonty looked across at Tess; it was a wistful look, Tess decided. But whether he was feeling wistful because he could not stay in the warm kitchen or because he wished he could ask her to go out into the cold with him, she could not tell. Then Jonty saw Tess glancing at him and the wistful look vanished. ‘There are cows out there waiting to be milked, but I suppose I’d better do it since you girls will want to chat,’ he said. He opened the back door again, letting in a blast of cold air which made both girls shriek a protest, and went out, slamming the door behind him. Tess stood the kettle over the flame, made the tea, and handed a cup to her companion. The two of them settled themselves comfortably on either side of the fire.

‘I believe your young man, Snowy White, Jonty calls him, is serving with the army in Malaya. I understand it’s a dangerous place for our national servicemen,’ Pamela said. She shuddered expressively. ‘I thank God that my man is in a reserved occupation; I’d die if they sent him away.’