Betsy couldn’t deny this. But seeing Susan’s distress nudged her own pain, which she’d tried to suppress. ‘Come here, lass. I reckon as you could do with a hug.’ With this, she took Susan into her arms and held her. She and Susan had built a strong bond over the years, which had grown from having both been duped by the evil Harold Roford, who had fathered both her Billy and Susan’s Sibbie.

Her thoughts turned to Mags, who’d suffered most at Harold’s hands during her marriage to him, when he’d taken all that she had. And how, after her own shameful encounter with Harold, and Susan’s hurt on thinking he loved her, the lovely Mags had helped them both, by making them see that they weren’t to blame but, like herself, were victims of Harold’s evil ways.

Her worry about Billy’s character being similar to his father’s surfaced then, but Betsy wouldn’t let this settle in her as, shaking herself mentally, she thought that any lad was bound to take sommat from his da; but then Billy had many traits that he’d picked up from her Angus, and it was more than likely these that would shape him. Already Billy was showing signs of this good influence in his life, displaying bravery in wanting to go to war and do his bit, while Harold Roford had pulled every trick in the book not to have to fight in the last one.

Feeling comforted, Betsy patted Susan and told her, ‘No matter what happens, we’re in this together, lass. Me and you, like we’ve allus been. And we have two good men to care for us, and a lovely friend in Mags. So, chin up for the younger ones, eh?’

Susan came out of the hug and gave her lovely smile, and Betsy felt that she would cope. She’d find the mettle she’d shown in the past when she’d needed to, and this made Betsy feel confident that, together, they’d get through whatever was thrown at them.

All the same, her heart was in her belly as she walked down the hill to the inn to book the room for her girls’ party. How did we come to this? God in heaven, didn’t we go through enough in the last war? But something told her this one was going to be far worse, as they were saying it was likely it would be fought on the home front, and not just abroad. A deep sigh came from her. Eeh, it’s all doom and gloom, and me heart’s in me boots. But, as always, we’ve to get on with it.

PART TWO

Britain and France,
1941

Taking Up the Challenge

CHAPTER FOUR

Digby RAF Station, Lincolnshire

Sibbie and Marjie

Sibbie’s heart leapt. ‘Paulo has written to me!’