Daniel came out to get something from the shed and saw me peering through the fence. He waved and turned back around to walk down the drive. He met me by Sixpence’s grave. He told me Mum was going to see Dr Frayne, and that this was a very good thing. He said Mum had asked after me the night before and got cross when Dad told her he’d spilled oil on my prize night frock. She said she had chosen the material especially for me. I listened to those words and sort of hugged them to my chest when Daniel went home.

The next day, Mum stepped out into the back garden with a basket full of wet washing and started to hang it on the line. I tried not to breathe so she wouldn’t notice I was watching her. But when she turned to go back inside, she looked over at Mr Driver’s fence. I could tell she saw me, and she stopped halfway to the back stairs and then gave me a little wave.

Well, you’d have thought I’d been asked to throw the ball into Bozo the Clown’s face on The Channel Niners show, I felt so happy.

Over the next few days, I spent most of my time during the day sitting on an old oil drum near the fence in case Mum came outside to the Hills Hoist. She used to wash every third day, but now that Daniel was home, I thought there was a chance she would wash a bit more often. Mr Driver tried to tempt me away from the fence, but when he realised how determined I was to stay on guard, he left me in peace, and sometimes pulled up a chair and read next to me for company.

After that first time, Mum stopped and waved every time she came outside. And then she would call out, ‘Hello, Dorcas. Hope you are staying cool,’ or something else that sounded like music to me. I noticed Mr Driver would shake his head and frown when she did this, but he didn’t say anything to me because I think my face told him how happy it made me.

It wasn’t long until Christmas Day, and I prayed and prayed that I could go home for Christmas, even though I loved Mr Driver very much and would miss him. I was too afraid to ask anyone in my family if this was a possibility. But I asked Mr Driver one night and he said we’d just have to wait to see.

CHAPTER 23

On the morning of Christmas Eve, I was eating toast and tea for breakfast at the table with Mr Driver when Dad walked through the door. I was so happy to see him that this time, as I rushed to hug him, my chair fell backwards to the floor and made a hell of a racket, but no one seemed to care. I threw my arms around his waist, and he just laughed a little laugh, righted my fallen chair and pulled up one for him next to it. Mr Driver stood up and limped to the sink to pour him a cuppa.