‘Have it your own way, man,’ Tom soothed and shortly after he noted that George had laid his head on the bed at the side of Cissie and was snoring softly.

Shadows were creeping across the lawn that evening when George suddenly felt a gentle pressure on his fingers.

‘Cissie just squeezed my hand,’ he said elatedly as Sunday and Tom crowded around the bed, and sure enough minutes later they saw her do it again. Then as they watched with bated breath they saw her blink and soon after she groggily opened her eyes.

‘Oh, Cissie, my little love. Thank God,’ George sobbed as he kissed her fingers and cried unashamedly. ‘I thought I was going to lose you for a time back there.’

‘Wh-where am I?’ she asked as the room swam into focus.

‘You’re in one of the bedrooms at Treetops and you’re safe. Something happened to you in the woods on the way home the other night. Do you remember?’

Her mouth was dry and her head felt as if it was about to split in two as she tried to think, but everything was just a blank. She then tried to shake her head but the pain of moving it was too great and her arm was hurting her too; in fact, the pain was excruciating. ‘N-no I can’t remember anything,’ she whispered.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter for now. The main thing is that you’re back with us again. Now we’ve just got to get you well again, my lovely.’

Smiling at each other, Tom and Sunday joined hands and tiptoed from the room, leaving the couple behind them in peace.

Cissie remained in blissful ignorance as to what had caused her injuries even when questioned by the police, and all too soon the day of Tom’s departure arrived. Following Cissie’s attack, George had written to their grown-up children asking them to come home, and now Primrose Cottage felt as if it was bursting at the seams, but at least Cissie had taken the first painful steps towards her recovery and everyone was grateful for that.

George was waiting in the car to drive Tom to the station and Sunday was tearful as they stood on the steps, saying their goodbyes.

‘I had hoped that Ben would get leave before I had to go so that I could see him one more time,’ Tom fretted, and a pain pierced Sunday’s heart.

‘You will see him, I know you will. You’re talking as if you’ll never see him again,’ she scolded fearfully, then throwing herself into his arms she began to sob. ‘Please promise me that you’ll be careful.’

He planted a kiss on her sweet-smelling hair. ‘Of course I will and I’ll be back on leave before you know it. You just look after yourself and everyone here for me. I don’t want to be worrying about you lot.’ Then putting her firmly from him he limped down the steps and clambered into the car.