‘Well, if you’re sure, my dear,’ he murmured, finishing the washing-up. ‘I shouldn’t be too long at the solicitor’s, and paying in the rental cheques will take a matter of minutes. I’ll buy something nice to eat at our desks for lunch.’

Doris looked out of the window at the threatening sky. ‘You’d better take the car,’ she murmured. ‘It looks as if it’s going to rain again.’

‘I need the exercise,’ he said. ‘We’ve been cooped up indoors since before Christmas, and with all the rich food and drink, my waistband is getting rather too snug.’ He patted his flat stomach and then bent to kiss the top of her head. ‘I should be back by midday.’

Doris carried her cup of tea into the hall and watched him don his raincoat and hat and pick up the large golfing umbrella. He kissed her lovingly on the cheek and opened the front door. ‘See you later.’

She stood in the doorway and watched him stride away until he was out of sight, and then went back into the kitchen to finish her tea, tidy up and get ready for her walk to the office.

The heavy grey clouds were scudding across a gloomy sky as the bitter wind came up from the sea. Doris wedged the velvet hat firmly on her head, pulled up her coat collar and walked briskly towards the factory estate, glad it wasn’t raining, for not even the sturdiest umbrella would survive this wind.

She waved to Jack Smith who was working on a car, and hurried up the steps to the office that overlooked the estate. Closing the door behind her, she plugged in the kettle, hung up her things and switched on the two-bar electric fire. Once she’d made the tea, she sat down to go through the morning post.

John had spent an hour with his solicitor, discussing the recent changes he’d made to his will, and coming to the conclusion that it was the fairest way to deal with the thorny problem of his estranged son. Once it had been signed and witnessed by two members of staff, the old boy insisted they had a glass of sherry and a slice of Madeira cake.

John knew the elderly man had all but retired from the law firm which was now in his son’s capable hands, but since he’d been widowed, he preferred coming into his office rather than sit alone at home. So, being a patient man, John spent another half an hour he couldn’t really spare chatting about the Lake District and drinking rather good sherry.

John left the solicitor’s office satisfied that he’d done his good deed for the day, and hurried to pay in the rental cheques for the leased factory units. There was a long queue as usual on a Monday morning, but time passed quite quickly as he chatted to a golfing pal and fixed up a game for the following weekend if the weather improved.