At the end of school there was a surprise for Ruby Smith. She had received a message that Mr Pruett wished to speak to her.

When she arrived, the caretaker, Mrs Trott, was standing outside the office door and gave her a reassuring smile. She tapped on the door and a voice called out, ‘Come in.’

‘Y’wanted t’see me, Mr Pruett,’ said Ruby.

John Pruett put down his pen and looked up at the attractive but clearly downtrodden young woman standing before him. ‘Please sit down, both of you, and thank you for calling in.’

Puzzled, Ruby sat down, Edna beside her.

‘Our school numbers are growing,’ said John, ‘and I’ve heard there will be another class next year. We could do with an assistant caretaker to help out for a few hours per week. Mrs Trott speaks very highly of you, Ruby.’

‘An’ m’leg is playin’ up again, Ruby, an’ m’back,’ added Edna for good measure.

John Pruett decided to stop the school caretaker there before it became too personal. ‘So I should like to offer you the job of assistant caretaker. Are you interested?’

‘Oooh, yes please, Mr Pruett!’ said Ruby, and Edna Trott and John Pruett shared the knowing smile of a job well done.

A crowd had gathered at the Ragley cricket field. A few fathers had left work early to watch their sons playing cricket, while mothers looked after the refreshments and shouted encouragement to their children. Tom Feather was off duty and supping the last dregs of a glass of warm beer outside the refreshment tent. Albert Jenkins arrived carrying two more glasses of Chestnut Mild.

‘Plenty of future Yorkshire talent here today,’ said Albert. He sat down in the deckchair next to Tom and handed him a glass.

Tom smiled. It was good to relax, even though his waking dreams were still filled with thoughts of Lily. ‘Thanks, Albert. You’re right – some of these lads show promise.’ His eye was drawn to Freddie Briggs, who had just hit the ball to the boundary, and he scanned the crowd to see if Lily was there.

It was then that he recognized a figure standing alone in the deep shade of a weeping willow on the far side of the ground. It was the tall, fair-haired man he had seen with Lily a few weeks ago. Tom remembered their embrace.

He stood up quickly. ‘Excuse me, Albert.’

He skirted the field at a cautious pace and approached the stranger from behind. The man was engrossed watching the cricket and almost hidden from view behind the arching branches of the willow.

Tom knew he must remain calm even though rage was building up inside him. The only outward signs were the twitching of his cheek muscles and the clutched fist behind his back.

‘What are you doing here?’

Rudi was startled, but quickly regained composure. ‘I’m here to watch the cricket.’