Another array of photographs graced the mantel in the dining room – all lovely reminders of the girls who’d come to stay for a while during the war. They’d been happy days despite the terrors of the air raids and the dubious protection of the Anderson shelter. And once some of them had moved away from Cliffehaven, they’d written to thank her and tell her how they were getting on, often sending little handmade gifts for her and Daisy to remember them by.

Peggy was still smiling as she went down the cellar steps to join Cordelia, Daisy and Sarah in the garden. She’d heard from quite a few of her chicks recently and it was a delight to know they were making new lives for themselves, but it was a worry that she’d had nothing from Ruby, but then she suspected she was taken up with finding her feet in Canada and had little time to spare. The fact that she hadn’t heard from Jim since his last letter didn’t worry her, for he was probably already at sea, making his way towards Singapore.

‘Tea will be ready in about half an hour,’ she said, sitting in a deckchair to watch Daisy playing in the sandpit with her bucket and spade. ‘I hope everyone gets back in time, or that fish pie will ruin.’

‘I’ve never known Charlie to be late for a meal yet,’ said Cordelia wryly. ‘My goodness, that boy can eat.’

‘There’s a lot of him to feed,’ giggled Peggy. ‘I’m sure he’s grown at least another inch since he came home, and it’s going to be the devil’s own job to find a school blazer to fit him.’

‘I get the impression that he’s not too happy to be going back to school,’ said Cordelia.

‘He’s had too much freedom and fun all summer, that’s the problem,’ Peggy said. ‘But he’s only got another year to go to get his school certificate, and then he can look forward to the engineering course at the tech. He’ll soon make friends and settle in, I’m sure.’

Once everyone was home, the atmosphere in Peggy’s kitchen was light and happy as they tucked into the delicious fish pie and Peggy questioned Danuta closely about her afternoon tea with Stanislaw.

‘We had very nice tea, thank you,’ said Danuta with a twinkle in her eyes. ‘And tomorrow we will have morning coffee at Cliffe so I can meet some of his Polish friends.’

‘I expect he’s very relieved you’ve decided not to go to Warsaw,’ said Peggy over the noise of Rose playing up and Emily grizzling.

‘Of course,’ she replied, the corners of her mouth twitching with a suppressed smile. ‘Not that it is really any of his concern.’ She finished her fish pie and pushed back from the table. ‘I have some calls to catch up on as I was off for the afternoon. So if you would all excuse me?’ She put on her cap, picked up her medical bag and left the house.