Her face blanched and her mouth fell open, as she pulled the contents out. ‘It’s from a solicitor in London,’ she told Cissie. ‘It’s concerning Ben. He went to see him some days ago and he’s …’ She swallowed and forced herself to go on. ‘He’s given all my money back; almost every penny he stole. All I have to do is transfer it from this bank account back into my own.’

Cissie’s eyes were on stalks. ‘He’s what?’ she said incredulously, hardly able to believe her ears.

‘It’s true … Look for yourself.’ Sunday handed her the letter.

‘But why would he do that now?’ Cissie shook her head. ‘After all the bad things he’s done!’

Sunday withdrew another letter, handwritten this time, and in Ben’s handwriting.

Her hand shook as she opened it and began to read.

Dear Mum,

I dare say this letter will come as something of a surprise to you after all the bad things I have done, but now I feel that I must at least try to put some of them right starting with the money I stole from you. You will find it all here, all you have to do is instruct the solicitor to pay it back into your account. If it is any comfort to you, you can be sure that it never brought me any joy. I can only say that for some long time I have not been in my right mind. I see that now. I thought I had got over what I had been through in the Great War but realise that I never did and losing Maggie, the baby and Dad just tipped me over the edge. Suddenly I began to see everything as being your fault. I convinced myself that you loved Kathy and Livvy more than me, which is why I took advantage of Kathy when she said she had feelings for me. I thought it would hurt you. But when I discovered from Kathy’s fiancé that I had left her expecting a child I was mortified and suddenly had a need to see them.

Taking them away from you all was unforgivable. I thought they would grow to love me – that they would become my family too, but they never did. They cried for you and Kathy the whole time I had them. But please believe me when I say that I never wished to cause them any harm and I pray that they have been safely returned to where they belong. They are a credit to Kathy, who has done a wonderful job of bringing them up, I can’t begin to imagine how hard it was for her, particularly alone.