‘She’s having a last fitting and won’t be home for an hour or two. You’ll have to put up with my culinary skills tonight. Mushroom omelette?’

‘That’ll do. I hope you’ve had a better day than me. I bloody hate working next to your ex-boyfriend all day, the smug git. You’d think after getting a good hiding from Samuel that he would have changed his ways, but no, not him. He’s playing the girl from the café and another from the library.’

‘If they’re anything like I was, they’ll fall for his lies. Talking of Roger, you’ll never guess who showed up in the shop today.’

‘Go on,’ George said.

‘Mo, asking me to forgive her before telling me she’s pregnant.’

George nearly spat his mouthful of hot tea out across the table, but gulped it down. ‘Blimey, she’s got some nerve. Are you all right?’

‘Yeah,’ Sarah said with a sigh. ‘Mo doesn’t know whether the baby is Sam’s or Roger’s. She has no idea where Sam is, and Roger doesn’t want anything to do with her.’

‘So what was she after? Money?’

‘I think so.’

‘I hope you didn’t give her any. I know how bloody soft-hearted you can be,’ George said.

‘No, I didn’t. I stood my ground and told her to get out.’

‘Well done. It can’t have been easy for you and let’s hope that’s the last you see of her. I wish I could say the same about Roger, but unfortunately, unless another pitch comes up on the market, I’ll have to look at his lying mug every day.’

It was just as bad for her. She wasn’t forced to look at Roger every day, but there wasn’t a day that passed when she didn’t think about him.

Chapter 49

‘You look nice, love,’ Lena said to George as he walked into the front room the following evening. ‘Does this mean you’re seeing Julie again?’

‘Yes, we’re going to the pictures.’

‘Have a nice time,’ Sarah said, trying to sound upbeat but thinking she had failed.

George had only just left when Lena said, ‘Sarah, I need to talk to you, but it’s not good news, I’m afraid.’

‘It’s all right, Lena, whatever it is. Me and bad news are well acquainted,’ Sarah said. After losing Tommy and the deceit of her best friend and boyfriend, Sarah felt as if nothing could touch her emotionally any more.

‘The thing is, love, Albert and me,’ Lena said, coming to sit on the edge of her armchair, ‘we’ve been talking about a honeymoon. He wants to take me travelling. I’ve only ever been as far as Brighton, so I’m a tad nervous about it, but Albert wants me to see Europe and meet his family in Italy.’