As it was the Easter school holidays, Anne was keeping Daisy with her until the morning, so the kitchen was peaceful that late afternoon. With the radio playing softly in the background, Peggy and Cordelia sat by the fire drinking tea.

‘I hope the happy couple aren’t feeling as tired as we are,’ Peggy said.

‘I shouldn’t think so,’ Cordelia replied. ‘They’ll be far too busy enjoying their honeymoon in the Cotswolds. Stanislaw told me he was going to fly them up there, but thank goodness Roger refused to let him and did the honours himself. The amount Stanislaw drank yesterday was enough to sink a battleship.’

Peggy giggled. ‘You didn’t do too badly yourself,’ she teased.

‘Well, it was a wedding, Peggy, and I got to rather like the taste of vodka.’

Peggy was about to reply when there was a knock on the door. She glanced up at the clock and frowned before dragging herself reluctantly out of her chair. ‘It’s a bit late in the day for visitors,’ she muttered.

She opened the door and was momentarily lost for words at the sight of Ruby standing there looking extremely well-to-do but exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes.

‘I’m ever so sorry to turn up like this so unexpected, Auntie Peg. Would it be all right if I stayed for a while?’

Peggy put her arms about her and held her close. ‘Oh, Ruby, darling, of course you can stay for as long as you like.’ She looked into her wan little face, noting the dullness of her eyes, and felt a pang of dread. Clearly the girl was deeply troubled. The questions were numerous, but they would have to wait. ‘Come in,’ she urged, taking one of the heavy cases.

Ruby stepped into the hall, put down her case and gazed round in astonishment. ‘Blimey,’ she breathed. ‘You really did do the place up, didn’t you? I thought it looked right smart outside, but this is really posh.’

Still fretting that Ruby’s solitary arrival boded ill, Peggy nevertheless shot her a smile. ‘You wait until you see the rest. But first, let’s get your coat off, and then we can sit down and have a cup of tea. Have you eaten?’

‘I ’ad a plate of pie and mash in London,’ she replied. ‘But a cuppa would go down a treat, Auntie Peg.’ She shrugged off her good quality coat to reveal a smart two-piece skirt and jacket, with a white silk blouse beneath it and a string of pearls around her neck.

Peggy made no comment on the expensive clothes, for they were merely another puzzle to be solved later. She led the way into the kitchen. ‘Look who’s here, Cordy,’ she said brightly. ‘Isn’t she a lovely surprise?’

‘Well, goodness me,’ gasped Cordelia, returning Ruby’s affectionate kiss of welcome. ‘Don’t you look the bee’s knees?’

Ruby smiled. ‘Not ’alf as smart as this kitchen,’ she replied, taking it all in. ‘But I’m glad it ain’t changed too much and you kept them old chairs.’ She perched on the edge of a kitchen chair, her pencil-slim skirt inching back to reveal slender, shapely legs clad in nylon stockings.