Alfie hadn’t realised. ‘Didn’t Mam tell you?’ he said gently. He knew how fond the old man was of Molly.

‘Tell me what?’

‘Me and Molly are finished. She’s got herself another fella.’

‘Don’t talk bloody daft! Oh, I heard ’em talking… her and yer mam.’ He laughed. ‘Got herself another fella? Wake up, boy! Herself worships the ground you walk on. She’d no more get herself another fella than pigs might fly.’

Alfie was puzzled, and excited. His heart began to pound. ‘What are you talking about, Grandad? What do you mean… you heard them talking?’

‘Your mother and Molly. It were just after Amy Tattersall ran off with some bloke or another. Talk to yer mam. Make her tell you the truth.’

Easing himself on to the edge of the bed, Alfie spoke firmly, but kindly. ‘Now then, Grandad, I want you to tell me what you heard. What exactly did Moll and Mam say to each other?’

Molly was on her way upstairs to wake the children when she was startled by a frantic thumping on the door. ‘Molly! Open this door!’

Recognising Alfie’s voice, she feared something had happened to Michael. Running down the passage, she let him in. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘You tell me!’ Pushing his way in, Alfie took her by the shoulders, almost lifting her off her feet. ‘You and Mam! Cooking up a story to send me off to America, when all the time it was supposed to be for my benefit. Have you no idea what you’ve done to me? Don’t you know how much I love you, Molly Tattersall?’

Molly didn’t have time to wonder who had told him. All she wanted was to convince him it had all been for the best. ‘Mam ran off and I was left to look after the children.’

‘What’s wrong with your da looking after them?’

‘Oh Alfie, you know what he’s like. He can’t look after himself, never mind the children.’

‘So, what’s wrong with me! I love them kids as much as anyone, and well you know it. Or didn’t you think I’d be man enough?’

‘Don’t say that! There’s nothing I would have liked better than to keep you here with me and the children,’ Molly confessed. ‘But it wasn’t fair to ask. Besides, you’d just got that offer to fight in America. It was something you’d always dreamed of. If I’d taken that away from you, you might never have forgiven me… oh, not straight off maybe. But later, when you were older and all your chances were gone, you might have resented what I’d done. I couldn’t live with that, Alfie. I love you too much!’

‘Oh? And you didn’t think I loved you enough, is that it? You didn’t think I would work my fingers to the bone and look after you and the kids?’

‘No! That’s exactly why I had to make you believe there was somebody else… because I knew you would do just that! I couldn’t risk it, Alfie.’