As Sunday drew back the bedclothes and revealed Kitty’s enormous stomach the midwife’s eyes stretched wide. ‘Good grief,’ she gasped. ‘I ain’t in all me years seen such a little ’un wi’ such a huge bump. I reckon this is goin’ to be a big baby.’ She felt around gently then sent Sunday and Maggie out onto the landing while she examined Kitty more thoroughly.

Her joking manner was gone when she joined them and she confided, ‘I’m a bit troubled, I have to admit. The lass is huge an’ her only a little thing. This ain’t going to be easy. Have you sent for the doctor? I’ve a feeling we might need him afore the day is out.’

Sunday nodded. That sick feeling was back in the pit of her stomach again but then they heard Kitty groan and they all rushed back in to her.

As the morning lengthened into the afternoon, every minute began to feel like an hour. The doctor had arrived by then and he sent Sunday and Maggie downstairs to join the others who were all gathered in the day room waiting for news.

Cissie floated from there to the kitchen making endless cups of tea until they all felt that they might drown in it, and then mid-afternoon, the midwife appeared to tell Maggie, ‘She’s askin’ for you, pet. She’s insistent that she sees you.’

Maggie flew past her, taking the stairs two at a time to find Kitty looking deathly pale on the bed. Even so she managed a weak smile when she saw her friend, and when Maggie clasped her hand she breathed, ‘I just wanted to say thank you – for everything. I … I don’t know what I would have done without you.’

She pressed something into Maggie’s hand then but the girl was so distraught that she merely shoved it into the pocket of her dress before saying, ‘Give over, will you, and concentrate on getting this baby here.’

Kitty gasped then as a pain gripped her and she arched her back. Once it had died away she panted, ‘Be happy …’ But then the doctor was ushering Maggie from the room again and the midwife was back so Maggie went away leaving them to do their job.

As the afternoon progressed darkness fell and Sunday and Tom went quietly about the house lighting the lights.

‘Should it be taking this long?’ Tom asked, nodding towards the ceiling.

‘First babies have a habit of taking their time,’ Lavinia assured him but deep down she was very worried too by now. The doctor had informed them some time ago that Kitty was having a bad time of it, but all they could do was wait and pray that all would go well.

The evening wore on and gradually the screams that had echoed from upstairs faded to dull whimpers but still there was no baby and Sunday was feeling frantic now as she paced up and down.