‘We’re going to London for a couple of days,’ said Jane. ‘Jeremy has booked us into a small hotel close to Oxford Street so we can go shopping for our trip to Singapore.’

‘Gosh. I didn’t realise your plans were that advanced. But what about your job at the council offices, Sarah?’

‘I telephoned my office manager yesterday morning and asked for the day off, and she was very good about it. She now knows I’m going back to Singapore and the reason for it, and has been most supportive.’

‘Oh, that’s good. But I do wish Jeremy was going with you. The thought of you young things travelling all that way unescorted is very worrying.’

Both girls chuckled. ‘We managed very well on the journey here,’ said Sarah, ‘so I’m sure we’ll be quite safe.’

‘But you were on a ship with lots of other women and children. Not flying halfway round the world in a flimsy seaplane,’ protested Peggy.

‘They’re really not that flimsy, Peggy,’ said Martin. ‘In fact, they’re a highly efficient and safe mode of transport. The navy used them right through the war.’

‘Well, if you say so,’ said Peggy, not at all convinced.

Daisy, Rose and Emily had finished their breakfast, so Martin went out into the garden with them while Peggy and Anne tackled the washing-up. Charlie left a few minutes later for the rugby club, and Frank soon climbed into his ramshackle old truck to drive home to Pauline and face the music.

Sarah and Jane dealt with their crockery and then went upstairs to fetch their overnight cases. The table was finally cleared and the faded oilcloth wiped down as Cordelia went to fetch the Sunday papers from the wire basket beneath the letter box. She returned and settled down in her favourite chair, her half-moon glasses perched on her nose as she skimmed the headlines.

‘We’ll be off then,’ said Sarah on her return to the kitchen. ‘Say our goodbyes to Fran, Mary and Ivy, will you, Auntie Peg? We would have stayed, but we wanted to get the early train as Jeremy has promised to take us out to lunch at the Savoy.’

‘Goodness me,’ said Peggy. ‘How very posh.’ She smiled and hugged her before turning to Jane with a teasing glint in her eye. ‘You and Jeremy seem to be seeing rather a lot of each other, and it was very generous of him to help with the flying boat tickets. Should I be planning for another wedding?’

Jane laughed. ‘Not for a long while yet, Aunt Peg. I have the trip to Singapore first, and depending how things go, it could be some time before I can get back here. As for Jeremy, he’s been offered a terrific job in Washington.’

‘Washington?’ Peggy gasped. ‘But will that mean you’ll go and live there too?’

Jane grinned and hugged her. ‘I didn’t say he’d taken up the offer,’ she said. ‘And who knows what the future will bring?’ She kissed Peggy’s cheek. ‘Must dash, or we’ll miss the train.’