Kitty began to cry too as Tom rushed about collecting their luggage and Sunday led them out to the waiting car.

‘You do know that I’m going to have a baby, don’t you?’ Kitty asked tremulously when they were finally driving through the familiar town.

‘Of course I do, and it will be very welcome just as you two are,’ Sunday assured her as she sat between them on the back seat holding their hands.

She turned to Maggie then and told her gently, ‘But I’m afraid I have some rather bad news for you, pet. Mr Dawes died of a massive heart attack shortly after you ran away and your mother Stella passed away too within months of him going. Their solicitor has been trying to find you ever since. You’re quite a wealthy young woman now. Your parents left you their house and everything they owned. The solicitor had tenants living in The Gables and has kept the money for you.’

Maggie shuddered. ‘I will never go back there,’ she declared. ‘That house holds too many unhappy memories for me.’

‘I see.’ Sunday stared at her curiously. Maggie obviously had a lot to tell her – since she wouldn’t have run away for nothing – but all that could come in her own good time. For now, Sunday was just content to have both girls back with her, where they belonged.

Over the next few weeks, Kitty unburdened her heart and told Sunday everything. She held nothing back – but never once did Sunday condemn her.

‘You are young and you were exploited,’ she told her gently. ‘And Richard was a cad.’

‘But he didn’t really force me to do anything,’ Kitty defended him.

Sunday stroked her hair. She blamed Kitty’s mother as much as anyone for what had befallen the girl, but she wouldn’t tell her that. ‘You might not be able to see it now, but he did so in a roundabout way. He played on your naïvety. But put it all behind you now. You have this precious little one to think of now.’

Kitty bowed her head and cried bitter tears at the mistakes of the past but miraculously Sunday still loved her despite the degrading life she had been leading, and somehow now that she had confided in her she began to feel a little better.

It was much the same with Maggie when she eventually broke down and conquered her shame to tell Sunday about the terrible things her adoptive father had done to her.

‘You should have come to us and told us what was going on,’ Sunday said, as she wept with her. ‘That evil man should have been punished for what he did.’

‘But he was, wasn’t he?’ Maggie gazed at her through a veil of tears. ‘I think it must have been me running away that brought on his heart attack. He would have been terrified that I was going to tell someone.’