Maude clasped a hand to her mouth before lowering it and taking Olivia in a tight embrace. ‘Oh Liv, I’m so sorry, I had no idea.’

Olivia wiped a tear from her cheek and made an attempt at a light-hearted giggle. ‘So you see, he’s right.’

Maude shook her head. ‘I may not know all the facts, but I’d wager it was your one and only?’

Olivia nodded. ‘It’s better if I tell you the full story …’

Maude listened in silence as Olivia told her of Ted, their relationship, and how he had left Liverpool.

Maude blew her cheeks out slowly. ‘And I thought I had it rough being cheated on, but after listening to you, I think I got off lightly.’ She threaded her arm through Olivia’s. ‘And to think, there I was banging on about my trivial problems, whilst you were suffering in silence.’

‘Your problems weren’t trivial, and you’re better off talking it through rather than letting it fester for years on end like I did,’ said Olivia earnestly. ‘I know I could have talked things through with Mum, but I didn’t want to upset her, not when she was so poorly.’

Maude squeezed Olivia’s arm. ‘Do you know what happened to your baby?’

‘Stillborn,’ said Olivia, the word barely above a whisper.

Maude’s bottom lip trembled. ‘Was it a boy or a girl?’

Olivia blushed. ‘My father said the less I knew, the easier it would be to say goodbye.’ Blinking back the tears, she fought to control her emotions before adding, ‘I never even got the chance to do that.’

Maude chewed her bottom lip, nervous that her next comment might cause her friend to become more upset, but she felt it only right to bring the matter up. ‘Every time you’ve spoken about your father, you’ve never had anything good to say about him. Are you sure his advice was given with your best interest in mind?’

Olivia gave a sarcastic laugh. ‘Not with hindsight, but at the time I thought it was, although I admit I was so scared and confused, I think I’d have followed the devil through the gates of hell had someone told me to do so.’

Maude nodded slowly. ‘Are you sure Ted knew the truth?’

Olivia nodded. ‘I read the letter.’

Maude looked horrified. ‘He wrote you a letter?’

Olivia corrected herself. ‘Not exactly. His father wrote a letter to say they were leaving Liverpool because of the rumours.’

‘I thought you said only you, your father and your mother knew?’ said Maude innocently.

‘That’s right.’ Olivia gave Maude a sidelong glance. ‘You think my father was lying, don’t you?’

‘Don’t you?’