She was laying the table for supper, and Gran was mashing the potatoes. Tess plonked the salt cellar and the pepper pot down on the table, glancing across at Gran as she did so, and was immediately swamped by guilt, for the pink had drained from the older woman’s cheeks and she looked both unhappy and remorseful. Gran began to apologise, saying she had got carried away, that of course Tess’s education must come first and if she managed to get a scholarship she, Gran, would be the proudest person in the world and would cast all thoughts of ice cream parlours – or soda fountains – out of her mind and concentrate on seeing that Tess had everything a grammar school girl would need.

Tess had just sat down, but at these words she threw herself at Gran and gave her a hard hug, tears of shame filling her eyes. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m the biggest pig in the world, even bigger and piggier than Crippen,’ she said, her voice breaking. ‘Oh, Gran, you and Mr Payne must go ahead with your ice cream parlour and not give me a thought. After all, I don’t know that I want to go on to further education; after another year of being bossed about and shouted at I might well be glad to leave school and get a job. And if I was earning money I could do lots of nice things, including helping to set up the ice cream parlour . . . Wouldn’t you like that? I’d be a first-class waitress and you and I would be working together . . . Mr Payne too, perhaps . . . and earning lots and lots of lovely lolly!’

Gran laughed but shook her head. ‘Dear Tess, don’t you listen when I’m talking? Your education must come first. And now let’s eat our supper before it goes cold.’ She hesitated, then met Tess’s eyes squarely. ‘You – you do like Albert, don’t you? I know he was your friend before he and I had exchanged a word, but . . .’

‘Oh, Gran, of course I like him,’ Tess said quickly, feeling her own colour rise hotly to her cheeks. ‘But – oh dear, I suppose I must be honest; I do feel just the tiniest bit jealous. You see, at the farm there are the Bells, and Adam, and lots of cousins who come over from time to time, and – and me, who is no one in particular. But here . . .’ she gestured round her at the small, well-appointed kitchen, ‘here it’s just our family, which is you and me, and now we’re going to add Mr Payne . . .’

‘And Snowy White,’ Gran said quickly. ‘He’s a new friend of yours so far as I’m concerned. Or doesn’t he count?’

Tess began to giggle. ‘I’m not planning to start a business partnership with Snowy!’

‘Oh, go on with you,’ Gran said, laughing. ‘And now let’s take a leaf out of the Bells’ book and stop nattering and start eating!’