She scowled at him and put her nose in the air. ‘Don’t push your luck otherwise you might find yourself walking back to Nuneaton.’ And with that she turned on her heel and marched away with her back ramrod straight, leaving him to stand there with a wide grin on his face. She was a feisty little thing, there was no doubt about it. And good-looking into the bargain.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

After what had happened, David decided to write to his parents and promise that he would try to get to see them, as soon as possible. Thankfully, they had had no idea that he had been on leave so he knew that they wouldn’t be too disappointed. It would mean that he could spend the rest of the time he had left with Kathy and attend the funeral. Everyone was upset, even the twins, although luckily they weren’t quite old enough to understand the finality of death.

‘But if Bobby has gone to heaven why can’t he come back sometimes to visit us?’ Thomas queried with tears trembling on his thick lashes. Sometimes Kathy thought he looked so much like Ben she was amazed no one else had picked up on it.

‘Because once they are in heaven God likes them to stay there safely with him,’ Kathy tried to explain inadequately.

Thomas snorted in disgust. ‘Then I think that’s very selfish of God,’ he exploded.

Daisy meanwhile had been listening with a worried expression on her face. ‘You told us that Patch our dog had gone to heaven,’ she told her mother accusingly. ‘But I saw George dig a hole and plant him in the garden like a flower. How can he be in heaven if he’s in the garden? And he never grew back neither,’ she ended accusingly.

Kathy was at a loss as to how better to explain but thankfully David saved the day when he asked, ‘Who wants to come for a walk to the shop in the village for some gobstoppers?’

‘I do!’ The twins chorused and Kathy flashed him a grateful smile.

Bobby’s body had been brought home and he was now lying in the day room at Treetops in a heartbreakingly tiny coffin until the funeral, which would take place the next day. Kathy was dreading it, as they all were. The telegram boys bearing tragic news were now a common sight in the town as they cycled about telling families that their loved ones had been killed in action, and yet the death of an innocent child seemed infinitely worse. At least the young men who had gone away to fight had had some sort of a life, whereas Bobby’s had barely begun.

Sighing, Kathy hurried away to get their warm clothes and as she glanced through the window she gasped with delight when she saw Livvy and Giles walking towards the lodge in their uniforms.