Evelyn had ignored the obvious slur and chipped back with her objections to the plan. ‘But that would mean lying every day to everyone. I happen to think that it’s important to be honest at all times. And anyway, I would probably get into a terrible pickle trying to remember what I was supposed to say. I’d be bound to trip myself up, and that would be worse than just telling the truth from the start.’

Joan had harrumphed down the telephone line.

‘In any event, I don’t suppose anyone will be interested,’ Evelyn continued disingenuously, ‘but if they are, I will just tell them that I’m having a baby on my own and I’m back at home to get some support from my loving family.’

She could feel the frost radiating from her sister even though she was a hundred miles away. It was crystal clear that Joan was only taking Evelyn in out of a sense of duty, but Evelyn hoped that if she made herself useful and was good company then perhaps she could win her sister round. She was prepared to try, at least, which was more than could be said for Joan currently. Maybe when the baby arrived, her sister would soften a little. It would be difficult to stay so angry with her nephew or niece smiling and cooing and kicking their little legs in the air, or whatever it was babies did. And there wasn’t much either of them could do about the inevitable gossip around the town. They were just going to have to ride that storm out.

‘All set?’

Evelyn turned and saw Ted behind her, a cardboard box in his arms.

She nodded a little forlornly. ‘I suppose so,’ she said. ‘If we must.’

‘Don’t be like that,’ Ted said, putting down the box and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. ‘It’s only a flat. Bricks and mortar, that’s all. It’s the memories that are the important part.’ He picked the box back up and headed towards the stairs. ‘Come on. If we set off now, then we’ll miss the worst of the traffic. It’s a nice little run out to Suffolk and I’m looking forward to getting a bit of sea air in my lungs, get rid of some of this city smog.’

God bless Ted. He had borrowed a van from somewhere and had offered to drive her and her belongings up to the house. If he hadn’t, then she would probably have had to take out a loan to pay a removal firm, money that she had no prospect of repaying any time soon. The arrangement was that she would contribute to his fuel costs and keep him entertained on the way. Well, she could manage that, at least.