On top of that, they were all feeling the strain of the war. Rationing was tight, even new clothes were difficult to come by now and they had had to resort to trying new recipes as the food rationing got tighter still. Only the day before Cissie had baked a carrot cake that Thomas had declared was ‘disgusting’, which had won him a clip around the ear, despite their amusement.

‘Well yer either eat it or go wi’out,’ Cissie had told him sternly. ‘We none of us get enough sugar to go wastin’ it on cakes now an’ the prime minister keeps tellin’ us, we’re to make do an’ mend.’

Thomas had gone off in a huff, although Daisy had eaten his and then asked for another slice. But then Daisy was like a bottomless pit and would eat anything if it was halfway edible.

All their thoughts were gloomy, until Cissie suddenly said, ‘I’m a bit concerned about young Bobby. He’s taken to seekin’ out the newspapers when Mr John has read ’em an’ he’s frettin’ somethin’ terrible about the bombin’s in London. He’s worried about his mam an’ I’m feared he’ll take it into his head to try an’ go an’ check she’s all right.’

‘But he’s far too young to try and go all that distance alone,’ Kathy said worriedly as she watched Daisy’s rear end disappear into the Morrison shelter that took up one wall in the kitchen. It was a great cumbersome thing, but John had insisted they should have it just in case there was an unexpected air raid and they didn’t have time to get down the drive to the cellar at Treetops. Both Kathy and Sunday hated it, but the twins had made it into a little den, which Kathy supposed was something, although how they were all supposed to squash into it should the need ever arise, she had no idea.

‘You’ll just have to keep a close eye on him and see that he doesn’t disappear,’ Kathy told Cissie, and the older woman snorted with derision.

‘Oh, an’ just how am I supposed to do that, may I ask? I ain’t got eyes in the back o’ me head an’ he does have to go to school. Still, Edith is keepin’ as close an eye as she can, bless her. She surely loves them little ’uns as if they were her own.’

They all nodded in agreement. Edith adored both Peggy and Bobby and thanks to her loving care they were now almost unrecognisable from the poor little waifs they had been when they first arrived.

Kathy filled the kettle at the sink, and she had just placed it on the hob to boil when there was a rap on the front door.