‘It looks lovely,’ breathed Peggy, quickly stepping out of her skirt and taking off her blouse to reveal her patched petticoat and rather grey bra, which reminded her she really should go and buy some decent underwear before Jim came home.

Sally held the dress for her to step into, and once she’d fastened the long zipper at the back, Peggy looked at herself in the mirror. The square neckline was flattering, the short sleeves hid her rather untoned upper arms and the colour enhanced the dark of her hair and eyes and brought light to her tired face.

The dress had once been an evening skirt; now it skimmed over her small breasts and was elegantly draped over her narrow hips to reach to just below the knee in a tulip-shaped hem.

‘It looks wonderful, Sally,’ she said in delight. ‘I just wish I could put on a bit of weight and be five years younger.’

‘We’d all like to be younger, thinner, fatter, taller or smaller, Auntie Peggy,’ Sally giggled as she got down on her knees to pin the hem. ‘Us women are never satisfied, are we? Now, how high would you like this hem?’

‘Keep it mid-knee, dear, if you wouldn’t mind. My legs are too skinny to show off.’ She stood very still as Sally measured and pinned. ‘How’s this pregnancy going, Sally?’

‘The doctor’s happy I’m over the first three months. He thinks I should carry this one full term as long as I don’t do nothing daft.’

‘That is good news,’ Peggy murmured in relief. ‘I know how cut up you were last time.’

‘Things are very different now,’ she replied, getting to her feet again. ‘I’m at home with John, relaxed and happy and not living in fear of bombs dropping on me ’ead.’ She checked the level of the hem again with a long wooden ruler. ‘There, how’s that?’

‘Perfect,’ said Peggy. She pulled on the bolero and turned this way and that to regard the effect. ‘It’s all absolutely lovely.’ She gave the girl a hug. ‘You are clever.’

Sally grinned impishly and helped Peggy out of her finery. ‘I’ve come a long way from that first day at Solly’s factory, ain’t I? And I’m ever so pleased, because it means John and I can afford a bigger place once we sell this.’

‘How’s that going?’ Peggy asked, buttoning her blouse.

‘We’ve accepted an offer,’ she said, ‘and are hoping to be moving in about six weeks’ time if the solicitors get a move on, and the buyers don’t change their minds. We’ve had our offer accepted on a house close to Betty and Brendon on the old Chumley estate.’

Sally gave a contented sigh. ‘Ever so lovely it is, with four big bedrooms, three receptions, kitchen, bathroom and a big garden for the kids. I never thought in a million years I’d ’ave a place like that, and won’t really believe it until we move in.’

‘Gosh, I didn’t realise any of them were for sale. They were only built last year.’