Just for a second she saw the hurt flash in her mother’s eyes but then Emma forced a smile. ‘I suppose I can understand how you feel. I should have stood up to my father and made him give you a little more time with people of your own age.’

‘It’s all right. I understand how hard it was for you.’ Holly gave her mother’s hand a reassuring squeeze as she blinked back tears. Seeing her again had brought home to her just how much she had missed her and she couldn’t bear to think she’d upset her. ‘At least now we can keep in touch properly and I can even come home and visit from time to time if grandfather has no objections.’

‘Yes, yes of course you can.’ Emma hastily brushed away a tear and forced a smile. Glancing around the cosy room she remarked, ‘You’ve certainly made this place very cosy. And how is Ivy?’

Holly had no time to answer for at that moment they heard footsteps clattering up the stairs and seconds later Ivy burst into the room in her work clothes looking somewhat bedraggled. She skidded to a halt when she saw Emma and then her face broke into a broad smile.

‘Why, this is a nice surprise.’ She dumped the bag of shopping she had bought on her way home from work on the table then glancing down at her work clothes she told her, ‘Sorry about the state I’m in. I suppose Holly’s told you I work at the match factory. It’s quite a dirty job, unfortunately, but I’m going to start to look for something else very soon.’ Then grinning at Holly she told her, ‘Hurry up with that tea, will you, me mouth is like the bottom of a bird cage. An’ there’s a nice sponge cake to go wi’ it in the bag.’

Emma smiled. She was pleased to see that Ivy hadn’t changed at all in some ways, although she did seem a lot more confident now, perhaps because here in London she was in charge of her own destiny? Whatever the reason she had to admit that both girls seemed content, although she was bitterly disappointed that Holly didn’t want to come home with her. She had missed her more than she could say but now she realised that it was inevitable that Holly would have become independent one day, her father had just hurried the process along.

They spent the next couple of hours munching cake and drinking tea, reminiscing about old times, and sharing their hopes for the future, until Emma glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece.

‘I’m afraid I should be getting back to Euston,’ she told the girls regretfully. ‘My train leaves in less than an hour.’

‘We’ll come with you,’ Holly offered. The visit had gone far too quickly and she was eager to spend every precious moment she could with her mother. ‘When we’ve seen you on your way we have to go shopping for some new clothes for Ivy and I could do with a new skirt and blouse for wearing in the shop myself.’