Olivia heaved a sigh. Her father was most probably the reason why Ted had left Liverpool, but supposing he hadn’t and their baby had survived? Could she and Ted really have brought up a child on their own? Even if they had, what would society have had to say on the matter? She knew the answer as soon as the question entered her mind. Society would have been unforgiving and judgemental. She and Ted would have been ridiculed and persecuted to the point where they would wish they had never met – and not just them but their baby too, and it would have been unfair to put a child through that. No, she might not like her father for what she believed he had done and the way he had treated her, but he had been doing what he thought best at the time, when all was said and done; he had had to think on his feet. She supposed many a father would have reacted the same way under the circumstances.

Ted thumped his fist against the Campbells’ front door. He had been standing outside for the past five minutes, shouting, yelling and peering through the downstairs windows, but there was no sign of life. He pushed his hair back with one hand before fitting the blue-grey cap back on to his head. He may have been happy enough to leave the first time he got no reply from the house, but things were different now, and he was prepared to stand here all day if that’s what it took. He went to hammer his fist against the door when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps from the other side. The door opened a crack and a woman peered through; seeing the RAF uniform encouraged her to open it a little further. ‘Hello?’

Ted pulled his mouth into what he hoped was a warm, welcoming and above all trustworthy smile. ‘Hello. Is Mr Campbell or his daughter available?’

His heart dropped as the maid shook her head. ‘I’m afraid not.’

‘Do you know where I might find either of them?’

She nodded. ‘May I ask who’s asking?’

‘An old friend of the family.’ He looked down at his uniform. ‘I’ve been away for a while so I thought I’d drop by to catch up.’

The maid eyed him with suspicion, and with her next question Ted realised why. ‘You’re a friend of Mr Campbell’s?’

Ted gave himself a mental telling-off. Of course she was looking suspicious – Mr Campbell didn’t have any friends – but it was too late; to retract the statement would make him a liar. Taking a deep breath, he spoke clearly. ‘When I say family friend, I really mean a friend of Olivia’s. I don’t think her father liked me very much.’