He shot out of his bedroom, his face drawn with anxiety. ‘What’s the matter, Mum?’

She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but had the breath for neither. ‘Your dad’s coming home,’ she managed to gasp, clutching at his sweater. ‘He’s coming home in May, Charlie. Isn’t that wonderful?’

‘Whoopie!’ Charlie grabbed her round the waist and danced her along the landing before swinging her off her feet and planting a kiss on her cheek. ‘Did he say what date? Which port will he be coming into?’ He set her back down and had to steady her.

Peggy felt quite giddy with it all and, unable to speak, handed him the telegram.

‘This calls for a celebration,’ he said decisively. ‘Get your coat, Mum. We’re going to the Anchor to tell Grandad.’

‘I’ll leave a note for Cordy to let her know where we are and why,’ she said, already halfway down the stairs. ‘And I should really telephone Frank, Anne and Doris.’

‘We’ll do all that from the Anchor,’ said Charlie, thumping down the stairs behind her as he dragged on his heavy school winter coat.

Peggy left a scribbled note for Cordelia and Danuta on the kitchen table, dragged on her coat, outdoor shoes and hat and snatched up an umbrella before following Charlie out into the teeming rain.

She ran as if she had wings on her heels, her heart so light and full of happiness, she barely noticed the rain any more. It wasn’t until she arrived breathlessly at the side door of the Anchor that she remembered she could have driven here, and burst out laughing.

‘Are you all right, Mum?’ Charlie asked, frowning.

‘I’m absolutely fine,’ she assured him, ‘but if we don’t get indoors we’ll both drown.’

Charlie pushed through the door, and they were greeted by the two delighted dogs. ‘Grandad! Rosie!’ he shouted up from the dark, narrow hall.

‘What the divil’s the matter?’ Ron appeared in the upstairs doorway looking dishevelled as he tucked his unbuttoned shirt into his trousers and blocked their progress.

‘Jim’s coming home,’ said Peggy excitedly, and then realised in horror that they must have disrupted Ron and Rosie’s canoodling. ‘Sorry if we’ve disturbed you, Ron,’ she babbled. ‘But it’s such fantastic news we had to come and share it.’

Ron’s disgruntled expression disappeared into a broad grin. ‘Ach, to be sure that’s grand, so it is. Come up, come up and dry off by the fire.’

He fumbled to fasten his shirt properly and shouted to Rosie. ‘Come away and hear this, Rosie, me darling. Charlie and Peggy are here with news of our Jim.’

Rosie appeared wrapped in a thick dressing gown, her hair mussed, face clean of make-up. ‘What on earth’s going on?’ she asked, attempting to tidy her hair.

‘It’s our Jim,’ said Ron, taking her hand. ‘He’s coming home in May.’

Rosie gathered Peggy to her and gave her a hug. ‘Oh, Peggy, that’s the best news ever.’ She drew back and tightened the belt on the dressing gown as she noticed Charlie admiring her cleavage. ‘You’ll have to excuse my appearance, but we were having a lie-in as it’s Sunday.’