Sam began to say that the whole episode would have been cleared up weeks ago had the young teacher not interfered, but at this point Mr Griffiths leaned forward. ‘I’ve not said much, young Sam, because I know you’ve been under a fair amount of strain,’ he said. ‘But remember, it was your temper and your refusal to apologise which led to us losing our only child.’

Sam took a deep breath and released it in a low whistle, and the hot colour which had invaded his face gradually faded. He turned to Glenys. ‘I’m sorry, I jumped the gun,’ he said gruffly. ‘You did your best by my children; did what I should have done, had I been in my right mind. The reason I didn’t return sooner isn’t easy to explain, particularly to anyone who didn’t know Grace.’ He turned to Mo. ‘Sweetheart, you’re the living image of your mother, so much so that when she died I found it hard to look at you. I’m sorry, my darling; I never meant to tell you that, but it was the true reason why I sent every penny of my wages home, and never came myself.’

Mo raised a hand to her wet eyes and rubbed them dry, then gave an enormous sniff, and clambered on to her father’s knee. ‘Nutty’s mam said that I were too like Mam for comfort,’ she said in a muffled voice. ‘Does that mean you’ll go away again, our dad? Because it ain’t my fault, the way I look.’

Mrs Griffiths stood up. ‘Of course your daddy won’t go away again,’ she said briskly, and Sam saw that her eyes were shiny with unshed tears. ‘Why, there’s enough work on Weathercock Farm to keep all of us occupied, and if this war they’re talking about really happens, then the country will need every mouthful of food we can grow, because they won’t be bringing in supplies from abroad.’

‘When the war comes, which it most certainly will, those of us in the merchant fleet will be called up by the Royal Navy,’ Sam observed. ‘And that means, my poor little button, that I shall have to go to sea again. But I shall make sure Liverpool is my home port, and in my absence you will be well looked after by Nain and Taid.’ He looked encouragingly from Mo’s smiling face to Jimmy’s serious one. ‘What do you think of that, you two?’

‘Can Auntie Glenys stay with us?’ Mo asked at once. ‘She’s my bestest friend, so she is.’

Sam laughed, but once more he felt resentment rising up in his chest. If that woman hadn’t interfered it would be he who was his daughter’s ‘bestest friend’. But he could scarcely say so, and certainly not in front of his in-laws. Instead he glanced towards the schoolteacher and saw her shaking her head.

‘Darling Mo, I’d love to stay here with you and help on the farm; it would be fun as well as my duty. But I’m afraid I’m just the right age to be called up and posted to somewhere like the Outer Hebrides!’