‘But, in the meantime, what about your work, and your duties?’ Rosie continued to fret. ‘I mean, shouldn’t you be in the chapel, doing good works, praying the Rosary and the like?’

The young nun smiled. ‘I’m doing good works looking after your children,’ she pointed out. ‘Anyway,’ she added realistically, ‘the school board would soon be knocking on our door if we didn’t pack them off to school.’

Rosie looked defeated. ‘I feel like I’ve failed them both; Sally’s never even been to school, and Ronnie spent half his time there running away from the place. He was always in trouble and getting the cane.’

Trying her best to stay sunny and positive, Theresa grinned. ‘This is a new start, Rosie – let’s look on the bright side and hope for the best.’

8. A Little Bird …

Shortly before the new sister was due to arrive, two women in Mary Vale House were pre-occupied in very different ways with getting a new roof over their heads. Ada, still unclear about which way the requisition order might go, was now seriously considering returning home to Leeds sooner rather than later to have her baby.

‘We want to look after you, love,’ Ada’s mother repeatedly insisted when she wrote to her daughter, which Ada never doubted. However, she also knew that a crying baby waking everybody up in the middle of the night would put a lot of pressure on her dad, a foreman who worked shifts at the local coal mine.

Sybil meanwhile was busily planning what she hoped would be her imminent move to the South and a luxury nursing home of her choice. Loaded with coins, she made regular trips to the local telephone box, from where she regularly tried to persuade Monty that Mary Vale was the perfect site for an Army training centre.

‘Like I’ve said before, sweetie, it’s perfectly situated for the Army’s transport purposes, bang on the main train line north and south.’

Livid at again being bossed about by a woman who should have known her place, Monty exploded, ‘Dammit, stop pestering me, woman!’

‘Darling, I was only trying to help,’ Sybil coaxed to no effect.

Now thoroughly riled, Monty turned to another source of irritation. ‘And, while we’re at it – don’t run away with the idea that I’m going to pay for you to move to the South.’

Sybil caught her breath; perhaps she had overplayed the requisition card? No matter how humiliating it was, she had to backpedal fast if she stood any chance of keeping the old goat sweet.

‘Don’t say nasty things like that, Monty baby,’ she purred. ‘I’m sure once I’m back to normal I can cover the cost of The Elms in ways that only I know.’

Smirking Monty humphed loudly on the other end of the phone. ‘That’s my girl – always did know how to please a chap.’