She could see that he was put out but it couldn’t be helped and after giving him a curt nod, she hurried on leaving him standing there. Hopefully now he would have got the message.

As she turned into Argument’s Yard and saw the dull glow of the oil lamp through the curtains in the cottage, she felt a little rush of happiness. This humble cottage was the only home she had ever known and she was happy to be back.

On entering she saw her mother sitting darning in the chair by the fire but instead of the warm greeting she had expected Alice simply stared at her and Amber knew immediately that something was badly amiss. There was a large clothes horse with damp clothes steaming in front of the fire and the whole place stank of wet washing.

‘Hello, Mam.’ She gave a tentative smile as she placed her bag down by the door. ‘Everythin’ all right, is it?’

‘No, lass, I’m afraid it ain’t.’

Was it her imagination or did her mother suddenly look older? Amber wondered as she went to take a seat opposite her. She looked like the weight had dropped off her as well.

‘What’s up?’

Alice licked her dry lips and gently told her about what had happened to her father and brothers. Amber’s face crumpled as she thought of them all. Her gentle, kind dad, Reuben’s cheeky smile and Amos’s teasing nature. They were all gone and she would never see them again. It was a lot to take in and she began to pray that she was in a nightmare. Surely she would wake up soon and everything would be as it had been. And yet as she stared at her mother’s strained face, she knew that it was true and tears started to pour down her cheeks.

‘B-but why didn’t you let me know? I would have come home!’

‘There wasn’t time,’ Alice pointed out. ‘An’ what could you have done, lass?’

‘So how have you been managin’?’

‘Will and Ted are goin’ to send me a bit o’ their wages each month, although I’m not happy about it, an’ I’ve started takin’ in washin’ an’ ironin’ from the big houses up on the hill. That brings in a bit. We’ll scrape by somehow. Especially if you can find another post.’