‘I dare say this is quite satisfactory,’ Miss Tyler sniffed. Even she could not criticise it. ‘So, we will take our leave of you now and you will hear from us in due course with our decision. Good day to you.’ And with that she waltzed away with her nose in the air as if there was a bad smell beneath it.

‘Old witch,’ Edith muttered as she cuddled Peggy protectively. ‘Don’t you get worrying about her, sweetheart. I’m not going to let anybody take you away from me. But come on now, let’s go out into the sunshine for a while, shall we, and get some colour back into your cheeks?’

She smiled to herself as they made their way downstairs. Had it been anyone else she would have asked George to give them a lift back to the train station in the trap as it was a very long walk, but let them make their own way there. In fact, she heartily hoped they got blisters and got lost on the way.

Chapter Forty-One

‘So, how were they?’ Sunday stared at her daughter’s tear-stained face.

Kathy sniffed. It was clear that she had been crying although she would never have admitted it. ‘They walked in with their new teacher as right as rain and never even looked back.’ She grinned. ‘I don’t know if that made it better or worse, to be honest. I can’t believe that they’ve started school. They looked so little lining up with the other children in the playground. Of course, it would have been awful if they’d clung to me crying. But then it hurt that they went off without a tear as well.’

Sunday chuckled. She knew exactly how Kathy was feeling – she had felt exactly the same the day Kathy had started school.

‘I’m sure they’ll be absolutely fine,’ she assured her. ‘And Peggy will love having them there even if they are in different classes. She’ll look out for them, never you fear. But what will you do with your time now? Knowing you, you won’t want to be sitting about all day waiting for them to come home.’

‘You’re quite right,’ Kathy agreed. ‘So, I was wondering, if George were willing to pick them up after school each day, do you think you could manage them for a couple of hours if I went back to work? I know the hospital is screaming out for doctors and nurses and I’d like to feel that I’m doing my bit.’

‘Of course I could manage,’ Sunday assured her. She had been half expecting this. Kathy was an amazing mother, but now that the children were off her hands during the daytime, she’d guessed that she’d want to make herself useful again, and she’d always enjoyed working.