Tongue in cheek he peered at the words and began.

Deer children, I ope yu are both settlin in to yur new place. Everyfin is all right ere so don’t get worryin about me. I’ll cum an see you when I can, love Ma xxx

Bobby blinked and just for second his slight shoulders sagged but then he forced a smile again. ‘See, our ma’s fine,’ he told Peggy and she nodded. Still clutching the postcard, Bobby took Peggy’s hand and as they wandered away again, Cook sighed.

‘Poor little devils. It can’t be easy fer ’em bein’ so far away from home. But I wonder why their mam didn’t mention their dad?’

‘From what I can make of it their dad’s a bit of a bad ’un,’ Edith confided. ‘Last night as I was tucking them in Peggy started to talk about him and Bobby came down on her like a ton o’ bricks an’ told her to shut her trap! Between you an’ me I reckon he were the one who gave ’em all the bruises they had when they first arrived.’

‘Hmm, an’ from the bits I’ve picked up it sounds like their mam’s a bit of a one an’ all,’ Cook commented. She glanced around quickly to make sure that the children weren’t within earshot and went on, ‘It sounds to me like their mam is on the game. You know … on the streets …’

‘Surely not!’ Sunday looked shocked but Cook was quite adamant. ‘They dropped it out that she goes out after dark … to work. An’ if she comes back an’ she’s got no money their dad wallops her. When she has, he takes it all off her and goes to the pub.’

‘Poor thing.’ Sunday looked distressed. ‘Perhaps that’s the only way she knows of making money, so who are we to judge her? If their father is a bully the poor soul probably doesn’t have any choice.’

‘That might be why the children were in such a state when they arrived,’ Edith chipped in. ‘If he’s takin’ all their money no wonder they didn’t have anythin’ decent to wear.’