‘Now please God our loved ones will come home, and we can all try to get our lives back to some sort of normality,’ Sunday said as she dabbed at her wet eyes.

‘I’ll second that,’ John said archly as he filled crystal glasses from a bottle of his very finest champagne, which he had saved for just such an occasion. ‘And here’s a toast to all the poor souls who will not be returning home who laid down their lives for our king and country. May God bless their souls.’

As they chinked glasses there was not a dry eye amongst them, for although they were elated at the victory, they were also painfully aware of the cost.

Chapter Fifty-Three

Although the war for Britain was over, the war in Japan still raged on but that didn’t stop the people of Britain celebrating their victory.

‘The people in the village are planning a street party,’ Kathy told her mother and Cissie when she arrived home from the hospital late one afternoon in May, shortly after the joyous news had been announced. ‘Why don’t we bring our party forward and have it on the same day? We could have it here during the afternoon so that all the children could come too?’ she suggested as Skippy leapt up at her, giving his usual rapturous welcome.

‘What a good idea,’ Cissie said approvingly. ‘I’ll get George to nip into town and get some flags and bunting … if you’re happy with the idea, Sunday?’

Sunday nodded. ‘I most certainly am. We can invite all the villagers as well as the people I was going to invite, and they can all bring a contribution to the food if they wish. Perhaps a bowl of jelly or some cakes for the children? If the weather is fine, we can have the tables out on the lawn and the children can run about to their hearts’ content. If it’s raining, we’ve still got plenty of room to accommodate everyone inside. We could perhaps pin the invite up on the noticeboard in the church hall at the Holy Trinity. What do you think?’

‘It would certainly save a lot of time having to go round the village inviting everyone individually,’ Kathy agreed.

And so that evening they wrote the invite out and George took it along to the church hall and put it in pride of place on the noticeboard the next morning.

From then on Edith and Cissie spent every hour in the kitchen baking bread and cakes. John meanwhile was true to his word and delighted them when he presented them with six large tins of corned beef, a huge round cheese and enough dried, mixed fruit to make at least a dozen large cakes.

‘I won’t ask where they come from seein’ as they have American labels on ’em.’ Cissie winked as she whisked the things safely away into the pantry.