‘You’re what?’ Maggie gasped when Kitty burst into her bedroom to tell her the news.

‘I’m going to be married – in a month’s time!’ Kitty was beaming from ear to ear. ‘Richard has promised to make all the arrangements. It will be a quiet wedding though. We don’t want a big fuss although I will need a new outfit, of course. Just think what fun you and I will have choosing it. And there must be one for you as well, Maggie dear. I want you to be my bridesmaid.’

Maggie was so flabbergasted that she was rendered temporarily speechless. She had feared that Richard would turn his back on Kitty once she had told him about the baby, but it appeared that he had come up trumps.

‘And where will you live?’ she asked eventually when she found her voice again.

Kitty shrugged. ‘I don’t know, to be honest. We haven’t looked that far ahead yet, but wherever it is I shall want you to come with me. I shall still need a maid because once the war is over I shall take up my singing career again and I’ll need someone to help with the baby.’

‘But I don’t know anything about babies!’

‘Neither do I,’ Kitty giggled. ‘But we’ll learn together. Oh, Maggie, I can’t tell you how happy I am, although I dread telling my mother.’ A frown wiped the smile from her face then as something occurred to her. ‘I wonder how she will manage without my money coming in? I’m not entirely stupid and I know that Richard gives her money and so does Max when I get a booking, and I doubt I ever see a fraction of it.’

‘You shouldn’t worry yourself about that,’ Maggie said stoically. Personally, she found it appalling that any mother could treat her daughter as Ruby had treated Kitty, but for the sake of her friend’s feelings she had never said as much. Kitty had already sold all her jewels to help out with the bills and the money that Sunday had once given her had gone, too. The only item of jewellery Kitty had kept was the locket that Sunday had given her on the day she left Treetops.

‘Hmm.’ Kitty went to stand and stare thoughtfully out of the window. ‘Well, I know Richard is very rich,’ she said quietly, ‘so perhaps if Ruby and Foxy move to somewhere slightly smaller he might still help them out financially?’

I wouldn’t bet on it, Maggie thought, but again she remained silent. This was all happening a little too quickly and easily for her liking. Richard had shown no signs of wanting to marry Kitty before, during the years they had been together.

Kitty whirled about then, the smile once more in place. She was so excited that nothing could worry her for long. Lifting Tallulah into her arms she kissed her silky head and told her, ‘We’re going to live with your new daddy soon, sweetheart.’