Edith’s heart sank as the child pointed to her most private parts and inside she was crying, No, no! Surely no father would do that to such a young child? Yet deep down she knew that they would, she had always suspected it and now Peggy was finally telling her rather than leaving her to surmise it. Fighting to hide the wave of sickness that had risen in her, Edith held on tight to the child and managed to keep her voice light.

‘That was very bad of him, pet,’ she said with a slight wobble in her tone. ‘Why ever didn’t you tell your mother?’

‘Dad said the devil would come an’ get me in the dark if I told anyone,’ the child said with a hitch in her voice. ‘An’ he only done it when Bobby an’ Ma were out. I think Bobby knew, though, an’ that’s why he started to sleep in my bed back at ’ome so’s he could try an’ keep me safe.’

‘Oh, my poor darling,’ Edith muttered and now she could stop the tears from falling no longer and they rained down her face as she thought what the poor child must have gone through.

‘I … it were my fault,’ Peggy said. ‘Dad said I made him do it … Will the devil come nows I’ve told you?’

‘No, he will not! There is no such thing,’ Edith retorted as her anger rose. ‘And it wasn’t your fault, pet. What your dad did was very wrong. Things like this should never happen to little girls … ever!’

At that moment John appeared in the open doorway in his dressing gown and, wiping the sleep from his eyes, he asked, ‘Is everything all right in here?’

Peggy instantly shrank into Edith’s side as she stared at him fearfully and now at last Edith understood why the child was so nervous around men.

‘Everything is fine,’ she told him. ‘We’ve just had a little accident, that’s all, so you go and put the kettle on and when we’ve changed the bed and got Peggy into clean pyjamas I’ll come down to the kitchen and join you for a drink.’

She knew there would be no point in going back to bed; she’d hardly slept a wink since Bobby had disappeared and she had come to a decision. She was tired of waiting for the police to bring news of him and had decided that the very next day she would go to London to look for him herself. But for now, she concentrated on making Peggy comfortable and once the bed was changed and the child was tucked in again, she planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. ‘There now,’ she said softly. ‘You snuggle down and get some sleep. And don’t get worrying. I promise you that I’m going to see to it that your dad never hurts you again.’