‘Whilst you were visiting your family, Ezra came again to talk to me,’ Mrs Johnson confided. ‘He and Edyta had spoken together, as you know, and she had told him that he must discuss the situation with me.’ She gazed into the flames of the fire and Ellen thought that she looked sad. ‘We have come to a compromise,’ she murmured. ‘Ezra now realizes that Edyta will not marry Paul Kline, no matter how suitable he is. She is an independent woman, old enough to choose whom she will marry, or not, as she sees fit. And in spite of my own upbringing, where women obeyed their fathers and husbands, I think she is right. Had their father survived I might not even have been asked for my opinion, but nevertheless I would have given it. Jewish mothers have great influence.’

Ellen gave a little nod. So had hers, and so had she, but she thought that perhaps there were many women in this country, as well as elsewhere, who were controlled by wealth and power. It was not quite the same for poor families, who might be pleased to have a daughter taken off their hands, but either way the woman didn’t always have a choice.

‘So what is to happen?’ she asked. ‘Is Edyta going to marry her Karl?’

Mrs Johnson nodded. ‘She said she will decide when she has talked to Karl and Ezra together, but I will live with Ezra and his wife. You know they live in Leeds; it is not so far by train and Edyta will be able to visit often.’

‘Ezra has agreed to this?’

‘Yes!’ The old lady beamed. ‘He says now that he has no objection. Poor boy. He is young and was trying so hard to do right. He was trying to be his father; but his father would not have seen his beloved daughter unhappy or estranged from her mother. It was because of you, my dear,’ she said. ‘Ezra saw how you and your family embraced us, strangers to this land, and made us welcome; he has seen too that although Karl is a stranger here he also is willing to embrace this new life.’

She gave a huge sigh. ‘We must do the same. We cannot hark back to the old life. This is the reason we came here: for a new beginning.’

The next day there were comings and goings upstairs and late afternoon Edyta knocked on Ellen’s door. ‘May I come in?’ she asked. ‘Are the children sleeping?’

‘No, no, come in. Come in.’ She opened the door wider and behind Edyta saw a tall slim man with blond hair, as fair as Harry’s was.

‘This is Karl Kushner,’ Edyta said shyly, and blushed. ‘I wanted you to meet.’

‘Come in, Mr Kushner,’ Ellen said. ‘I’m very pleased to meet you.’

He gave a short bow. ‘And I you, Mrs Randell.’

‘Ellen, please,’ she said.