Giles nodded as Livvy tried to think of something appropriate to say. What could you say to someone who was prepared to risk his life for his king and country?

‘I, er … hope the training goes well,’ she muttered eventually.

‘Thank you.’ His deep-blue eyes were staring into hers and she felt her cheeks begin to burn before she quickly turned away.

‘Right, I’d best get on then.’ She almost tripped over her own feet in her haste to put some distance between them and all the while he watched her, with an amused little smile on his face, although he said not a single word.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ Kathy enquired, when Livvy spilled into the kitchen shortly after with a sombre look on her face.

‘Nothing!’ Livvy bent to stroke Daisy’s head and the little girl took her attention from the brightly coloured wooden bricks she was happily playing with to glance up and give her a toothy smile. ‘Giles just told me he’ll be leaving to start his training soon.’

‘Oh, I see.’

‘See what?’ Livvy said defensively. ‘It’s no skin off my nose what he does, is it?’ And with that she stormed away upstairs, leaving Kathy with a thoughtful expression on her face as she finished changing Thomas’s trousers. He was almost potty-trained now but still had the odd accident.

When she had finished, he toddled off to sit beside his sister and she smiled sadly. She could quite understand Livvy’s concerns about Giles going away. Could Livvy have known it she was worried about the welfare of two men: Ben and David. But at least she knew exactly what David was doing. She had no idea at all where was Ben was. She had still not heard so much as a word from him since the day he had left. Her only comfort was in knowing that it was the young men who were enlisting at present. Surely Ben would be too old now for active service? She looked at her children. They were her whole world and she had taken to being a mother like a duck to water. In fact, she couldn’t imagine her life without the twins now and it hurt to know that Ben was missing so much. But all she could do was pray that eventually his conscience would get the better of him and he would come home. With a sigh she went to put the dirty nappy into the soak bucket. Somehow, they were all just going to have to get on with things as best they could.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Liverpool Docks, late November 1939