‘Then perhaps we should forgive him for taking us away if he was poorly,’ he said quietly as he stifled a yawn and Kathy felt a sharp pain in her heart. If such young children could forgive him so readily perhaps she should try to do the same.

‘Goodnight, my darlings, sleep tight, hope the bedbugs don’t bite.’ She kissed them both soundly and left the room, closing the door softly behind her and once out on the landing she sagged against the wall as tears burned at the back of her eyes. She could only hope that she had handled the children’s questions sensitively. They certainly seemed to have accepted things and now they had a wonderful future to look forward to with David when the damned war was finally over.

On the day of the funeral Kathy woke to an eerie grey light and after glancing out of the window she saw that a carpet of snow lay thick on the ground.

It had been agreed that Edith should remain at Treetops with the children, while Sunday, Kathy, Cissie and George attended the service. It had also been agreed that the coffin should be taken directly to the church as Kathy was concerned that it might be too confusing and upsetting for the children if it were to come to Treetops. As her daughter would now be attending the funeral, Sunday had been only too happy to agree to this. So, when it was time, they set off, the car’s headlights making the snowflakes sparkle like diamonds in the eerie light.

As they drove down the drive, in her mind’s eye, Sunday could see Ben as a little boy having a snowball fight with his father on the lawn. She could hear his laughter and her heart was heavy to think that his life had ended as it had.

Much to Sunday’s regret, other than themselves there was no one else to mourn Ben at the church. After Maggie’s death he had been rather reclusive, venturing into town only when it was absolutely necessary, and he’d cheated so many local tradespeople out of their money when he’d fled that they all kept away.

The service was short and before they knew it, they were following the coffin to Ben’s final resting place, the beautiful wreath of red roses and holly Sunday had insisted he should have standing out in stark contrast against the dark mahogany of the coffin and the snowy scene.