They sat either side of her on the bed and took a thin hand each.

‘Hello, Auntie H. How you feeling?’

‘With me bleeding hands as always! What you two been up to then? Been fighting?’

‘Her shrewd eyes scanned the two of them and they smiled. ‘Got me winnings have you?’

‘The end of the week.’ Boysie’s voice was tight.

‘That scut Lawson’s tucked you up, ain’t he? Well, listen to me. When people tuck you up and get away with it, it’s like they won, see?’

‘I gave him a dig. If he ain’t got the brass at the end of the week, I’ll slaughter him.’ Boysie’s voice was matter-of-fact.

‘Good boy. Now there’s another fight this week in Bethnal Green. I want you to put a tenner on for me. It’s Jimmy Sands and Michael Derry. Put a tenner on Derry for me, he’ll piss it.’

Daniel laughed.

‘I’ll see Tommy Lane about putting the bet on for you. Might have a monkey on him meself. Do you want us to get you a drop of the hard, Auntie H?’

The old woman cackled. ‘What do you think? ’Course I do. You off out with the birds tonight, I suppose?’

‘Something like that.’

‘Oh, Danny Boy, the girls who get you two will be lucky!’

They kissed her and made their farewells.

Cissy was big. Over the years weight had piled on her. She now ran the house in between carrying on relationships with different men, from American airmen of indeterminate age to the coal man who had a wife and thirteen children. She was as ugly as the day was long but her ample breasts and cheery manner helped enormously, coupled with the fact she wasn’t too fussy. She would say to Briony: ‘If they’ve got their own teeth and a bit of hair, that’s good enough for me.’

To which Briony always replied. ‘Cissy, they only have to be breathing to be good enough for you!’

This reply always sent Cissy into gales of laughter. She said the blackout was the best thing that had ever happened to her and Briony was inclined to agree. Like a lot of unmarried women, and a good few married ones, she had had what was termed ‘a good war’.

Tonight the boys sat down to a large dinner. They started with a nice slice of home-made chicken liver pate with hot toast. Then they devoured a large roast chicken and finished off with a slice of apple pie. They had never known anything about shortages. In Briony’s house there was always plenty of butter, milk, eggs and meat, and the boys never questioned this, just took it all as their due.

Both of them held their stomachs with their hands and declared at exactly the same time, ‘That was handsome, Cis.’