‘If I know his type he’ll have had a few pints by this time, and he’ll soon begin to shout and boast and make himself unpleasant,’ he said. ‘So take my advice, Jimmy, and we’ll none of us talk unless we have something important to say. Right then, let’s go.’

‘And I always thought you were too timid to say boo to a goose,’ Miss Trent marvelled. ‘You are obviously going to be the leader in this expedition, so lay on, Macduff!’

Mo had thoroughly enjoyed her evening, greeting Roseanne as an old friend and taking part in a game of blind man’s buff which the older girl had organised. At nine o’clock, however, the visiting children – and Mo – were invited into the kitchen for cocoa and biscuits, after which the visitors departed and Mo was put into a little truckle bed which pulled out from beneath Roseanne’s.

She lay in bed reliving her evening with great enjoyment; what a lot she would have to tell Jimmy when he joined her, no doubt with his canvas bag bristling with holly. She did not often have money of her own but she had been saving the ha’pennies the old ladies of the Court handed out to anyone who would carry bags or fill buckets for them and had amassed what was to her a small fortune. She had counted it the day before Cyril’s return and intended to spend it all on a stick of nougat, a quarter of a pound of striped humbugs and a bag of shelled peanuts, because these were all Jimmy’s favourites. But now she thought she really ought to get a small gift for Roseanne, because the other girl had been so kind. She knew it was possible to buy two mince pies in a little fancy box, though she had no idea what these delicious creations cost.

She snuggled her head into her pillow, deciding to go out with Roseanne or Jimmy next morning to do her Christmas shopping, and even as the thought entered her head she heard the clock strike ten. Immediately she sat bolt upright; Jimmy would be back, telling the major and his family all about his expedition. She listened hard but could not pick out Jimmy’s tones amongst the voices below. Oh, well, she knew he would come up just as soon as he was free to do so, although it had been a long and exciting day and perhaps, when he did appear, he would have so much to tell her that he might prefer to save his news until morning.

She snuggled down again, knowing she would not sleep until she was certain he was safely back, and when the door creaked open she shot up in her little bed, sure that this was Jimmy at last. But the voice which spoke was not Jimmy’s.

‘Hello, are you still awake?’ Roseanne said. ‘It’s after ten o’clock; you should have been asleep ages ago. Are you finding it difficult to drop off because you’re sleeping in a strange bed? Is there anything you want? A glass of water, or maybe a visit to the privy? It’s a mild night, but even so you must put on that dressing gown we lent you before you venture out. And my old slippers – they’ll be far too big for you, but you can shuffle along, can’t you?’