Anna let the letter drop into her lap. She was laughing so much she could hardly read the words. Tears streamed down her face.

‘Oh, Mother, did you ever hear anything so funny?’

Her mother looked up from her knitting and smiled. But there was something strained about her expression, as if she hadn’t been listening at all.

Anna picked up Liesel’s letter and read on. ‘Anyway, I had the last laugh in the end. Yesterday I went to the market with the farmer and his wife, and they sold the animal for nine pounds ten shillings. I hope by the time you read this that horrible old sow has ended up in Mr Hudson’s shop …’

‘At least she seems to be enjoying herself,’ Dorothy commented absently.

‘When she’s not being trampled by cows and chased by pigs!’ Anna shook her head. ‘Honestly, I never thought I’d see the day Liesel went to work on a farm. She’s never liked getting her hands dirty. But I suppose that’s this wretched war for you. It’s changed everything, hasn’t it?’

Dorothy lowered her knitting and looked up. ‘Anna—’

‘What else does she say?’ Anna scanned the letter again. ‘She thanks you for the socks and the cake you sent her … oh, and she goes on about her latest day out with Davy.’ Her mouth curled over the name. It seemed to crop up more and more in her sister’s letters. ‘She’s seeing rather a lot of him, isn’t she?’

‘They’re courting, I suppose. He seems like a decent enough young man.’

‘If he’s that decent, why hasn’t he enlisted?’

‘He’s in a reserved occupation.’

Anna said nothing as she folded up her sister’s letter and slipped it back into the envelope. She understood that there were certain jobs that required men to be spared from going to war, but it seemed unfair that Liesel’s young man should be free to drive a train while Edward was away, risking his life for his country.

She looked across at her mother. Dorothy Beck was staring into the fire, a faraway look on her face. Seeing her expression gave Anna an uneasy feeling.

‘Are you all right, Mother?’ she asked.

She expected her mother to smile and say she was fine, just tired. But when Dorothy raised her eyes to hers, Anna saw an intent expression in them that gave her a surge of sudden panic.

‘Anna,’ her mother’s voice was gentle, ‘I need to talk to you.’

She jumped to her feet. ‘I’ll just close the curtains first. There’s a draught blowing in from somewhere.’

‘Anna—’

She went to the window. ‘The weather’s so cold now, isn’t it?’ She put her hand to the icy glass. ‘I knew it. There’s cold air blowing in here. The last raid must have shaken the pane loose. We’ll need to get that fixed before the winter sets in …’

‘Anna, please. Come and sit down.’

She stared out of the window at the street below. Next door, Mr Hudson was pulling down the shutters of his shop, stopping to exchange a few words with Mrs Church as she locked up. Mr Hudson said something, and she heard Mrs Church’s shrill laughter. A horse pulling a coal cart clopped slowly down the middle of the street, the coalman muffled so deep inside layers of scarves and coats that only his long nose could be seen poking out under the brim of his hat.