Beth trotted into the billet and made a beeline for Olivia. ‘You’ve got mail, and I don’t recognise the writing …’

Olivia’s stomach performed a cartwheel as she held her hand up to receive the letter. She looked at the writing on the outside of the envelope, which was indeed unfamiliar. Slitting the envelope open with her knife, she glanced up at Beth, who was nibbling the corner of her thumbnail. ‘Here goes …’

She looked down at the letter, then began to read it aloud.

Dear Olivia,

Thank you so much for your lovely letter. It was nice to hear from you in person and Dana and I both read it with keen interest. However, after reading what you had to say, I was rather disappointed to learn that it appears there has been some kind of miscommunication and it looks like you’re not our mother after all, even though the man who abandoned me at the orphanage sounds a dead ringer for your father. I’m a twin, and as you did not mention having twins, it looks as though there’s been some remarkable coincidences surrounding the Christmas Eve of 1923.

Dana and I have discussed it at length and we would very much like it if you kept in touch. I’m still in contact with another girl who was in Greystones, and I shall ask her if she knows anything that could be of any interest to you.

Olivia scanned the rest of the letter before sighing heavily. ‘Looks like another dead end.’

Beth took the letter from her unresisting fingers and quickly scanned the contents. ‘Are you going to stay in touch?’

Olivia nodded. ‘They’re the closest I’ve come to finding my daughter, and their friend might know of someone who fits the bill.’ She tutted beneath her breath. ‘Why didn’t Bonnie say that Jess was a twin? I’d never have bothered writing to her had I known that.’

Beth shrugged. ‘It does seem a bit odd, especially as she never mentioned the man abandoning two babies, just one.’

Olivia drummed her fingers on the edge of her bed. ‘None of this makes sense.’

‘Are you going to tell her about this letter?’

‘I’ll tell Maude, and I daresay she’ll pass the message on.’ She took the letter from Beth. ‘They sound like nice girls, though, because they could’ve wiped their hands of me.’

‘Kindred spirits,’ said Beth. ‘You’re looking for your daughter and they’re looking for their mother.’

‘I s’pose so,’ she put the letter into her box of keepsakes, ‘although no one’s going to be doing anything whilst all leave has been cancelled.’

Beth pulled a face. ‘I know. I thought whatever it is they’ve been planning would be over and done with by now.’