‘You didn’t happen to spot Rita’s dress by any chance?’ Peggy asked hopefully.

Anne laughed. ‘No such luck. Sally had it covered very thoroughly by a sheet. And before you ask, I didn’t see Ivy’s either. So you’ll just have to rein in that awful curiosity of yours, Mum, and wait like the rest of us.’

Peggy drank her tea, and when the children had finished eating, Anne went with them into the garden to feed the chickens and then play in the makeshift sandpit Ron had made out of offcuts of wood and pilfered sand from the beach.

Standing in the doorway for a minute to watch them, Peggy lit a cigarette and then tackled the last of the washing-up before going to wake Daisy. If she left her any longer there would be tears before bedtime, and nothing was allowed to spoil today.

Daisy threw a bit of a tantrum because she wanted to wear her new white dress with its frothy petticoat. Eventually, Peggy got her into dungarees and a jumper, and coaxed her into eating her porridge and drinking her orange juice. Grimacing at the taste of her daily spoonful of cod liver oil, Daisy then hurried off quite happily to play with Rose and Emily in the garden.

While Anne kept an eye on the children, Peggy took the opportunity to hurry upstairs to use the bathroom now it was free, and some minutes later, returned to her bedroom to put on her make-up. She planned to wear the lovely blue silk skirt and jacket Sally had made her five years ago for Anne’s wedding, and it hung on the wardrobe door, fresh from the dry cleaner’s, with the matching shoes placed beneath it. She’d splashed out on a new and very fancy hat for Ruby’s wedding, and had worn it at Ivy’s. It would do sterling service today, and next weekend when Doris and Colonel White tied the knot at the Town Hall, so it hadn’t been money wasted.

Pausing in the act of putting on her lipstick, Peggy wondered again what had kept her sister from the party the previous evening, and decided she’d telephone her once she was finished here. Hunting out the delicately worked gold earrings and matching necklace Jim had sent her from Burma, she put them on and admired the effect in the mirror. They were utterly gorgeous, even though they looked rather incongruous teamed with a wrap-round apron. But that didn’t matter, for she just knew they’d be perfect with her outfit.

Anne and the children were still in the garden, so Peggy went into the hall and got through to the exchange. Doris answered on the second ring and sounded a bit flustered. ‘Hello, Doris. Is everything all right? Only we missed seeing you last night.’

‘I thought it was the doctor returning my call,’ she replied. ‘John has hurt his back and he’s in absolute agony – barely able to move. I couldn’t leave him on his own, poor man.’