‘Hello … Mother.’

Startled, she glanced to the side to see Hugh leaning lazily back against the trunk of a tree, blowing smoke from his cigarette into the dusky gloom.

‘Hugh.’ Slowly her heartbeat returned to a steadier rhythm as she saw who it was. She had been hoping he would come again.

As he casually strolled towards her, she asked, ‘Have you got time to come to the cottage for a drink? It’s lovely to see you.’

He smiled as he dropped his cigarette and ground it out with the heel of his well-shod foot.

‘Thank you – but I ought to warn you this isn’t entirely a social call.’

‘Oh?’ She stared up at him and he ran his finger around the neck of his shirt as if it was suddenly too tight.

‘The thing is, I’m in a bit of a pickle. You see, when Mum and Dad chucked me out I took a room in town. I was hoping to find a job but I’ve had no luck as yet and now my landlady is breathing down my neck.’

Cissie felt relieved. She had thought he was going to tell her that there was something wrong with him.

‘So I was wondering if you could see your way clear to lending me some money – just until I find a job. Ten pounds should do it.’

Ten pounds was a huge amount of money to her, and Cissie was shocked that he would ask. After all, this was only the second time they had met.

But seeing her reservations, his face suddenly turned ugly and in that instant, he looked so much like his father that her hand rose involuntarily to her mouth. The look was gone so quickly that she wondered if she had imagined it as he gushed, ‘Look, if you can’t manage it, it really doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t have asked. I just thought that being as you are my mother, you’d want to help me out of a tight spot.’

‘Of course I’ll help you.’ She instantly felt guilty. This was the first thing she would ever have done for him in his whole life – and surely George wouldn’t mind? Hugh was her flesh and blood, after all, and there was nothing she wouldn’t have done for him.

‘You’ll have to come to the cottage with me and I’ll get it for you.’ She hurried on and they walked along side by side.

Once inside the cottage she left Hugh in the kitchen with a glass of lemonade while she rushed upstairs to get the money. She and George had quite a little nest egg tucked away for their retirement now. Ten pounds was going to make a sizeable hole in it admittedly, but she was certain that her husband would understand – and it was only a loan, after all. Leaning over the bed she reached into a small hole in the mattress and extracted a small bag. Inside was their life savings and she hastily counted out ten pounds before returning the bag to its hiding place.