Glenys put the handful of cutlery she had been holding down on the table and went straight to Mo. She picked her up and cuddled her, then sat herself down on a chair with Mo on her lap. ‘Mo darling, didn’t you hear what Nain said? The children are going to be evacuated.’

Mo reared up. ‘Does that mean they’ll come along and prick you with a needle, and shout at you if you yell, because it’s for your own good?’ she said fearfully. ‘I’ve had evacuation and I don’t want no more.’

Jimmy snorted. ‘Evacuation isn’t the same thing as inoculation, you idiot,’ he said loftily. ‘It just means you’re sent into the country to be safe. You want your pals to be safe, don’t you? And when they’re in the country they’re called evacuees, because they’ve been evacuated from their homes, see?’

Mo nodded. ‘I understand now,’ she said. ‘Might they come here, our Jimmy? Oh, and suppose they do come here and then write home and tell their mams and dads they’re with us. And then suppose the neighbours tell the Huxtables where we’ve gone?’ She rubbed her eyes vigorously. ‘Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, I just knew something nasty would happen when I woke up this morning and realised the party was over. And I didn’t go with Jimmy to the cottages so I missed seeing Pete in his skin like a poor dead rabbit . . . oh, aren’t I the most unluckiest girl in the world?’

Glenys laughed, gave the child a brief hug and stood her down on the kitchen floor. ‘You’re a very kind and thoughtful girl,’ she said. ‘Now, I really don’t need any help with a cold meal, so you run along with Jimmy and see how many eggs you can find. Dinner will be in half an hour, and though the pasties are for tonight Nain made an apple pie earlier for dessert.’

Jimmy seized the basket standing by the back door and the two of them went out, wrangling amicably over where the hen who laid astray was most likely to be, and Glenys settled down to lay the table and make some dressing with oil, cream and vinegar to pour over the salad.

Promptly at twelve thirty she went to the door to call the family in, and was quite surprised to realise that the sun was beaming down from a blue sky and the birds were singing lustily. Somehow Mr Chamberlain’s speech had ruined the lovely day, for her at any rate, and she could not help contrasting the way she felt now with the way she had felt yesterday. Yesterday had been perfect, the happiest day of her life so far, but today worries predominated, foremost among them the fear that Sam would feel bound to return to the sea. It was a dangerous place in peacetime, but in war it was much worse. Still, no point in fretting ahead of time, so with everyone seated she served out the food and tried to keep her anxiety to herself.