‘Magda, don’t forget to return or renew your Motor Boat Maintenance book at the library before the end of the month, or you will get fined again. Pet, I borrowed an umbrella from Mrs Rossi at the bakery when I got caught in that rain storm. For me, please could you take it back to her? Please take good care of yourselves, girls, and be as sensible as you can. Remember, even though I am not there to tell you, that I love you both very much and I will always be proud of you. Make sure you are doing everything you can to help your father.

‘Fred, my darling, don’t work too hard. Give Barnaby a tickle from me and tell him to leave the baby rabbits alone.

‘I love and miss you all very much.Your Mutti xxxx P.S. Remember—’

Mags turned the page over but there was nothing written on the other side. ‘Remember what?’ she said.

Pa stared for a moment, his eyes were open very wide. ‘Perhaps she reached her limit of words,’ he said. ‘Or it might have been censored by the guards at the camp. Her letters will be checked before they are sent. It might have said something they didn’t want her to say.’

‘Like what?’ I said, bewildered. ‘It just sounds like she’s going to remind us to keep our room tidy or feed the cat or something.’

‘I don’t know, Petra,’ Pa snapped, taking the letter back from Magda. Then, straight away: ‘I’m sorry, girls. I don’t know.’ He got up and put his jacket on. ‘If anyone needs me, I’ll be in the lighthouse.’

I took Mrs Rossi’s umbrella back when I went down to Stonegate on Monday morning. There was no school now as arrangements were being made to send all the children in our area to a safer part of the country. Except us. Pa had decided that Mags and I would stay at home with him after all.