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Chapters (59)
  1. Cover
  2. ABOUT THE BOOK
  3. Dedication
  4. PREFACE
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  54. CHAPTER FIFTY
  55. ENDING
  56. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  57. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  58. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  59. Also by Val Wood

Mary stared up at her with her mouth half open, then about-turned and ran upstairs again. ‘Sarah,’ she called. ‘We have to have that lovely room in ’middle cos Dada needs ’big one so’s he can get better. Aunt Lizzie’ll have to sleep in ’littlest one because there’s onny her.’

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Billy and Florence left to visit the hospital, being sworn to secrecy about the move. There was little left to do. The furniture was in, the beds were made, clean cupboards with oiled lining paper on the shelves were filled with crockery, and in the kitchen sink was a jug containing spring flowers, narcissi and primroses and small branches of dark green butcher’s broom still wearing waxy red berries.

‘Butcher’s broom,’ Ellen said softly. ‘I haven’t seen that since leaving Holderness. We had a shrub growing at ’bottom of our garden. These must be from Mrs Lucan. She was a countrywoman.’

She carried the jug into the parlour, placed it in the middle of the table on her chenille cloth, and turned to everyone. ‘I can’t thank you enough. I’m so very grateful.’ She took a breath. ‘There’s just one person missing and I wish, oh, how I wish that Harry could be here.’

Everyone nodded or murmured in agreement, and Tannerson put his head back and pursed his mouth as if thinking. ‘Well,’ he mused. ‘It’s not late.’ He paused. ‘Let me think. You’d want the children with you – yes of course you would; so if you took the trap, Filip, to take your family home I’ll drive the wagon with Mrs Randell and the children to the hospital. I’m sure we can arrange for Harry to be discharged tonight, and then we’ll bring him home.’

‘I’ll make a simple supper, shall I, Ellen?’ Lizzie asked, and Anna said, ‘There’s more cake in the tin.’

‘Oh!’ Ellen’s voice was wobbly. ‘Could we?’ She turned to the children. ‘Would you like to come with me and fetch Dada home?’

All the children cheered, including the Boscos, so coats and bonnets were put back on and blankets picked up for the journey back; Ellen said goodbye and thank you to Anna and Filip and kissed them and their children, and then did the same to Karl, and they all said, ‘See you tomorrow.’

‘I’m dizzy with excitement,’ Ellen said to her sister, who helped her on with her coat and put a shawl round her shoulders and gently kissed her cheek. Then she handed her Harry’s clean clothing, for his own shirt and trousers had been thrown away, and an extra blanket. ‘Thank you, Lizzie,’ Ellen said. ‘I would have forgotten.’