Once again, she yearned to see Sunday and feel her motherly arms around her, but after the way Kitty had treated her and Tom when they had come to visit her at Wilton’s Music Hall she could hardly blame them for wanting nothing more to do with her. But it didn’t stop Kitty missing them.

She was still standing there when a stomach cramp made her bend double and she felt something warm and sticky between her legs. It was blood! Kitty waited until the pain had passed before hobbling to the bathroom and locking herself away.

Two hours later, when Maggie returned to Kitty’s bedroom, she found her lying pale on the bed. It was all over.

Maggie eyed her suspiciously before asking, ‘What’s wrong? You look awful!’ Kitty’s eyes seemed to have sunk into her head and she looked as weak as a kitten.

‘I think I’ll get the doctor,’ Maggie decided, and when Kitty loudly protested, her worst suspicions were confirmed. ‘You’re having a baby, aren’t you?’

Kitty shook her head. ‘I was,’ she admitted – and then the tears came, hot tears that threatened to choke her. Maggie quickly got on the bed beside her and put her arms around the other girl and there they lay, drawing what comfort they could from each other as Kitty grieved for the innocent child that would now never be born. And it was all due to her own wickedness.

The joy of Lavinia and William’s homecoming a few days later was somewhat marred by Cissie’s predicament, but just as Sunday had expected, the newlyweds went to their room, unpacked their things and pitched in to help wherever they could.

By the time the doctor had called and carried out another examination of the patient Lavinia had already got the children washed, fed, clothed and off to school, or into the schoolroom for the little ones.

When he had finished, the doctor folded his stethoscope, shoved it into his bag and beckoned Tom onto the landing.

‘It’s not good, I’m afraid,’ he told him, rubbing his face tiredly. ‘The longer she stays unconscious, the more chance there is of her just slipping away from us. She could have brain damage, you see?’

Tom nodded as his stomach churned. He himself was due to leave in a few days’ time to start his training and he hated to go with this tragic situation hanging over them. But what choice did he have? If he didn’t report for training he would be classed as a deserter.

He saw the doctor out and the man promised to return later in the day. He then went to relieve Sunday for a time, insisting that she should go and get some rest even if it was only for an hour. George, understandably, wasn’t so easy to shift. He refused to budge.

‘I’m not leaving her,’ he told his friend. ‘I want to be here when she wakes up.’