Ada gazed around the little kitchen the former tenant had left meticulously clean. ‘I’m longing for Jamie to see it,’ she sighed.

‘Are you planning on any changes?’ Dora asked, as she walked into the pretty little parlour.

‘I was thinking of giving the kitchen another coat of paint,’ Ada told her. ‘I rather like the pretty old-fashioned floral wallpaper in here, so I thought I’d leave it as it is.’

‘You could smarten it up with a lick of gloss paint on the door frames and skirting boards,’ Dora suggested. ‘I’ll see if I’ve got some spare pots of paint in the shed when I get home later.’

‘I’d love to make some curtains for the baby’s room,’ Theresa said shyly.

Moved by her generous offer, Ada called the young postulant by the name that was hers before she entered the convent.

‘That would be lovely, Shirley, of course I don’t know the sex of the baby, so I leave the colour for you to decide.’

‘I could paint the baby’s room too?’ Theresa eagerly asked.

‘That would be so lovely.’ Ada smiled. ‘I’m not sure how nimble I am up a ladder these days,’ she said as she stroked a hand over her tummy.

Busy with all sorts of arrangements both in the Home and at the cottage, Ada nonetheless decided she would try to have one more talk in private with Sybil. Spotting her sitting on a bench one warm afternoon, Ada crossed the lawn to sit beside her. At the sight of her Sybil edged away, which didn’t bode well.

‘Hope you don’t mind,’ Ada said brightly. ‘It’s such a lovely day, I just thought I’d get a bit of fresh air before I return to the ward.’

Sybil shrugged and didn’t respond. Determined not to take offence, Ada cheerfully continued. ‘This is the best time of the year here,’ she declared, throwing out a hand to take in the spectacular views of Morecambe Bay and the lower foothills of the Lake District. ‘The sea, the bay, the mountains.’

Looking completely unimpressed, Sybil gave a rude grunt.

‘Have you thought about attending my ante-natal classes?’ Ada enquired. ‘They’re every afternoon, after dinner, just for an hour.’

Sybil gave her a long, level look. ‘I find the company of most of the women here odious,’ she said coldly. ‘Why would I want to spend even more time with them than is absolutely necessary?’

‘The classes are about helping mothers prepare for their delivery,’ Ada told her.

‘Look, can I be crystal clear?’ Sybil asked. ‘I don’t want your help, or anybody else’s for that matter. I just want to get this wretched business over with, then I’ll be on the train back home before you even know it.’