She sat at the kitchen table with a cigarette, poised to stop them all coming into her lovely basement with their muddy boots, and wondered if it might be an idea to get a porch built over the back door where boots, wellingtons and wet coats could be stowed instead of bringing them into the house. She smiled at the idea and decided she’d tackle Ron and Frank about it tomorrow after they’d eaten and had a few drinks.

The weeks of worrying over how to feed everyone over the Christmas break had been allayed by Vi’s generous bounty and the three food parcels that had arrived this morning. There had been two from Australia, each filled with tinned ham, salmon and jam; bags of lemons, dried fruit and nuts, as well as sugar, tea and coffee, and Christmas cards from Sarah, Jane, Sybil, Rita and Peter – it seemed they were all planning to meet up over the holiday period.

Cordelia had received a parcel from her family in Canada, and this had been full of tins of gorgeous biscuits, shortbread, more dried fruit, knitting wool and neatly wrapped small gifts. Peggy’s cupboards were groaning with it all, and the turkey from Ron and Rosie was so large, it would probably feed everyone for a week.

The knowledge that Jim would miss yet another Christmas was sobering, but he’d sent a lovely parcel of presents for everyone, and a long letter to tell her how much he was missing her and longed to be with them all. It wasn’t the same as having him here, but his loving words had warmed her, and she could start to tentatively believe he would be home before another Christmas loomed.

The house was peaceful for a change as Daisy and the boys were outside with the dogs. Danuta was on duty and would be spending the evening with Stanislaw, who was slowly and painfully learning to walk unaided again. Cordelia had gone out with Bertie and would be home soon, for she didn’t want to miss Doris’s drinks party this evening and the chance to nose around the transformed bungalow.

Doris was very proud of the house, and Peggy knew her sister well enough to realise the drinks party was her chance to show it off. Peggy had already been round there, and had been amazed at the transformation, but she still preferred what she’d had done here, for the essence of the old house was still evident.

She stubbed out her cigarette and checked that Ron was still with Daisy, then wandered into the dining room. There was a large tree now gracing the bay window, bedecked with the tinsel, glass baubles and tiny coloured lights she’d found in her attic. A pile of presents would be placed beneath it once Daisy was in bed and asleep, and her stocking was already hanging from the mantelpiece waiting to be filled.

The table looked lovely with a white linen cloth set with brass candlesticks, home-made crackers and a centrepiece of holly and ivy laced with scarlet ribbon. She’d unearthed her grandmother’s heavy silver cutlery from a case in the attic and had spent an entire evening polishing it to a gleam, and it looked wonderful set against the scarlet placemats and napkins she’d made from the remnants of an old damask curtain.