‘When we all moved away, he – he went to stand by the grave. None of us took much notice of him at the time. It was only natural, we were all so dreadfully upset. But when we got back to Rookery Farm you asked us, in the kitchen, who he was.’ Peggy smiled gently at the memory. ‘Gave us quite a shock and threw poor Mavis into a right old dither.’

‘Why?’

‘They, Mavis and Isobel, guessed it could have been him – your father. And then . . .’ Peggy paused, warming to her story, seeming suddenly to be enjoying the drama of the moment. ‘He came to see me.’

Ella gasped, ‘When? After the funeral? Oh, why didn’t you tell me?’

‘No, no, it wasn’t after the funeral. It was at the time your photograph appeared in a daily paper.’

Ella looked puzzled.

‘You remember when you found that bomb on the beach?’

Ella’s expression cleared. ‘Oh, yes.’

‘Well, he saw it. It was all in there – your name, your age, even about your mother having driven the Commanding Officer at Suddaby in the war. He came here to ask about you.’

‘Didn’t he know about me then?’

‘He told me that just after New Year in 1953,’ Peggy went on, trying to bring all the strands of the events together, ‘he’d written to your mum asking her to meet him again. Evidently, until then, his life had been very difficult and he hadn’t been able to contact her. He sent the letter to Fleethaven Point because he knew that was her home.’

Ella nodded excitedly. ‘That must have been the letter she received when we got there, to go to the old man’s funeral. And,’ she paused for effect, ‘there was a letter found in her handbag, but it was drenched and the writing absolutely unreadable. So was that why Mum went out in Uncle Danny’s car that Saturday?’

Peggy nodded. ‘Yes, it was. Your mum went up the coast to meet him. They talked, but she didn’t tell him about you. I don’t know why. Maybe – if you find him – he can tell you what happened between them.’

Ella whispered, ‘So why didn’t he come to find me when you told him about me? Why . . .’ there was bitterness in her tone now, ‘why did he leave me with her?’

Peggy looked uncomfortable for a moment. ‘Maybe that’s my – well, our – fault. I came to talk it over with your grandfather and he said he thought it would be for the best if you stayed there. You’d only recently lost the most important person in your world. He thought it best that you stayed with people who loved you rather than go to complete strangers.’