Dee rolled her eyes. ‘How many times have I told you to knock before you come into the bathroom?’

‘Well, he did.’ He glared at Dee. ‘Do something.’

‘Go down and help your father.’

‘Aren’t you going to tell him off?’

‘I’ll deal with this in a minute. I need to talk to Auntie Betty.’

He glared at Betty now, and Betty smiled back, winking. She waited until he’d left the room. Dee shut the door.

‘Well?’

‘Later,’ Betty said. ‘After the children have gone to bed.’ She put the lipstick back in its holder and lifted her comb from her cosmetic bag.

‘You’re pregnant, aren’t you?’

Betty turned her head fast, her neck cricking. She felt dizzy, nauseous.

‘No, nothing like that.’ Sniffed, peered into the mirror at a spot on her chin, combed her hair behind her ear. ‘Well, yes. Maybe. How did you know?’

‘Tone of voice,’ Dee said. ‘It was either that. Or nits. I took a guess.’

‘Graham.’ Kevin had bounded up the stairs, crossed the landing, hammered on the boys’ door. ‘Come down now.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘I don’t know,’ Betty said. ‘Can we talk later? Please?’

‘You’ll have to have it adopted,’ Dee said. ‘Won’t you?’

‘Please, Dee.’ Her voice was quavering and her eyes were tearful. ‘This evening?’

Dee blew through her mouth. ‘God, Bets, what a mess. I mean, this changes everything.’ She looked at her watch. ‘Got to dash.’

She ran out of the bathroom, down the stairs. Betty could hear her in the kitchen. Bye, kids, be good. Bye, Kev. Must rush. Auntie Betty’s taking you to school.

She’d forgotten it was her day.

§

Kevin was in the sitting room listening to the wireless, Dee and Betty in the kitchen. Betty had made some tea and they sat at Dee’s new Formica-topped table, hands round blue-striped mugs.

‘How far gone are you?’ Dee said.

‘How should I know?’ She’d never been pregnant before. When had Lieselotte known?

‘Well, how long since your last period?’

‘About two weeks,’ Betty said. ‘Perhaps three. I’m not always so regular.’

Dee thought a moment.

‘So you’re due April sometime,’ she said, adding, ‘It’s John’s?’

Betty nodded. ‘I didn’t think you got pregnant the first time.’ She looked out of the window, at the garden beyond, the swing on the cherry tree, the lilac bushes.

Dee laughed. ‘Crumbs, Betty, where have you been? Why didn’t he use something?’

Betty shrugged, turned to her friend. ‘We weren’t planning to do anything.’