It was Monday, 2 June, and a glorious Spring Bank Holiday morning. Sarah was sat in the front room with George and Lena as Tommy played upstairs with George’s trains. Both the shop and the market were closed, and Tommy was on school half-term break. He had recovered well from his chest infection after Lena had shown Sarah how to put his head over a bowl of steaming hot water. She’d said it would open up his tubes, and it had appeared to work. In fact, Lena had offered lots of motherly tips, and taught her many useful things that she’d never learned from her own mother, including how to sew and knit. She didn’t feel very accomplished with the knitting and kept dropping stitches, but Lena had encouraged her and told her she’d improve with practice.

‘It’s such a lovely day, how about I take us all out? We could go to the ponds on Wandsworth Common and feed the ducks. It’d make a nice change from Battersea Park,’ George suggested.

‘I’ve already told Joan that I’d go round to hers for lunch today. She gets lonely since her Pete passed away and welcomes the company. You three go, though, I’m sure you’ll have a smashing time in this sunshine,’ Lena said.

Sarah liked the idea, but thought now was a good time to mention leaving. ‘Actually, George, I was thinking of going home today.’

‘But you don’t know if it’s safe yet,’ George protested.

‘I never will know if I don’t go and find out. I would have thought if Mo’s family were out to get Samuel, they would have been and gone by now.’

‘I’m not sure I like the idea of you waltzing back in there just yet. I think you’d be better off staying a while longer. You know you’re more than welcome, ain’t that right, Mum?’

‘Yes, but if Sarah feels she needs to go home, then why don’t you run her over there and check out the place first? I can take Tommy to Joan’s with me and at least that way he’ll be out of harm’s way,’ Lena suggested.

Sarah smiled thankfully. ‘If you wouldn’t mind, that would be great.’

‘All right,’ George said firmly, ‘but if we get there and there’s any doubt, you’re coming straight back here with me.’