Beth nodded, her eyes anxious, an ill-concealed terror growing in them.

Rosie came into the kitchen, her young face flushed from sleep, her blonde curls tousled, her body swollen with child. She paused in the doorway as she met Kate’s steady gaze. Kate held out her arms to Rosie, and the girl gave a little cry and with surprising swiftness covered the distance between them. They clasped each other, Kate leaning forward over Rosie’s bulge. The girl drew back with a nervous laugh of embarrassment and glanced down at her stomach. ‘Gets in the way a bit, dun’t it?’

‘Sit down, Rosie,’ Kate said, and Beth stood quietly beside her daughter-in-law’s chair. Instinctively, the girl put up her hand and caught hold of Beth’s. Then their eyes met Kate’s.

She took a deep breath, trying to still the sick feeling that was rising in her stomach. ‘You know that Danny was stationed at East Markham and I’m at Suddaby.’

They nodded, their gaze never leaving her face.

‘East Markham has been closed temporarily for concrete runways to be constructed . . .’ She paused again. ‘And Danny’s squadron has been moved to Suddaby.’

Rosie’s face brightened. ‘Oh, how lovely! You’ll be together. I am pleased.’

Kate bit her lip. There was not a trace of jealousy in Rosie’s tone. She was genuinely happy to think that Kate and Danny would be together. ‘Isn’t that wonderful, Mother?’ Rosie smiled up at Beth, but the older woman’s gaze never left Kate’s face.

‘Have you seen him, Katie?’ Rosie chattered on brightly, her joy at thinking they had met twisting like a knife in Kate’s heart. She pulled in another deep breath. This was even harder than she had imagined it would be. ‘They arrived two days ago but I only saw him very briefly. I – I didn’t have a chance to talk to him – not properly.’ Here her voice almost quavered. She had wanted so desperately to speak to him, to explain, to make up their quarrel. Now she might never have the chance.

‘That same night all the aircraft from Suddaby and the squadron from East Markham – they – they all had to go on a big operation . . .’

She was going round in circles, avoiding the moment when she must tell them the awful news. And they were waiting so patiently, so trustingly, not firing questions at her or demanding that she hurry up. Yet surely they must realize . . .

‘My two friends are R/T operators and I was allowed to sit in the Control Room and – and watch for the planes to come in. Only – only – oh, Rosie . . .’ Tears filled her eyes and their faces became blurred in front of her. ‘Danny’s aircraft didn’t c-come back.’