Peggy fumbled with the thin paper as the tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn’t bear the thought of Jim having to go through such a horror – but neither could she heal his pain or his longing, and that was what hurt the most.

She mopped up her tears quickly before Cordelia noticed them and went into her bedroom to look down at their darling little girl who was just stirring. She couldn’t begin to imagine how it must have been for the women who’d had to watch their babies die – to have to bury them in some jungle clearing and then, on liberation, be forced to leave them behind.

‘Good morning, sleepyhead,’ she murmured, gathering Daisy into her arms and holding her close. The weight of her was soothing, and she kissed the warm, soft cheek, breathing in the scent of her daughter, thanking God she was safe from harm.

Daisy began to wriggle and squirm, demanding breakfast, so Peggy released her reluctantly and followed her into the kitchen where the child ran straight to Cordelia for her morning cuddle.

Cordelia discarded her newspaper and let Daisy clamber onto her lap. Looking at Peggy sharply over the child’s head, she raised a questioning brow.

‘Jim’s letter,’ said Peggy quietly, pushing it towards her. ‘I warn you, it doesn’t make easy reading.’

While Daisy chattered away and ate her breakfast, the two women tried their best to respond, but Jim’s letter had had a profound effect on them both, and they frequently drifted off into their own thoughts.

Peggy knew she couldn’t just sit here and have Jim’s words going round in her head, evoking terrible images – but then again she couldn’t find the energy to read Ruby’s letter, for she suspected it would be full of her woes, and she’d had enough sadness for one day.

Once Daisy had finished eating, she sent her out into the garden with Cordelia, got dressed, and tackled the week’s washing. There wasn’t so much of it now there was only the five of them in the house, and before long, it was all out on the line.

Peggy sat in the garden with Cordelia and played with Daisy in the sandpit, dreaming of the day when she’d have a proper washing machine and could commit the old mangle to the tip – but despite the sunny day, the darkness of what was happening in Singapore seemed to overshadow everything.

Charlie hadn’t lied to his mother exactly – there was a practice session at the rugby ground though it was much later than he’d implied.

He swung the holdall containing his sports kit over his shoulder and walked down the twitten to the main road, where he paused. He had several choices, but with the mood he was in they held little appeal. He could go down to the seafront, or along Camden Road towards the playing fields, which would take him past the Anchor, and run the risk of being seen by Ron or Rosie. He didn’t feel like talking, although there were so many thoughts and feelings swirling about inside him he thought he would explode with it all.