As far as his eye could see was nothing but a vast white wilderness and it was eerily silent. He suddenly felt as if they might be the only people left in the world. Even the birds were not singing and the snow was still coming down like a thick white blanket. Hastily he stooped and filled the kettle, then, kicking what he could of the snow back out of the door, he quickly closed it again.

Susie also stirred at that moment and, when she looked towards the window, she clapped her hands with delight. ‘Ooh, look at the snow,’ she chirped. ‘Will I be able to go out on me sledge, Opal?’

Opal smiled indulgently as she smoothed the fall of black curls from the little girl’s face. Suddenly she felt old, for not so long ago she would have been excited to see the snow, too. Now she could only see the problems it would bring.

‘Your sledge is back at Mrs Kitely’s, love,’ she explained and Susie pouted.

But then she began to cough. Opal quickly felt her forehead. It was hot and her heart sank. It looked as if Susie was about to come down with the fever, too.

Charlie also looked concerned as he saw the unnatural flush in his little sister’s cheeks, but he said nothing as he wedged the kettle into the heart of the fire.

‘Right now, let’s see what we’ve got for breakfast,’ Opal said in a falsely bright voice, as she rummaged in the small food bag in the cart. ‘Ah, we have some oats here – look, that should fill us up.’ They had no milk so she would have to boil them in water and they would be fairly tasteless – but she supposed it was better than nothing.

‘I’m not hungry.’ As Susie burrowed down beneath her blanket again, Charlie and Opal exchanged a worried glance.

Opal boiled the remainder of the oats and somehow, she and Charlie washed them down with tea, but Susie refused it and Opal decided it was best to let Jack sleep.

‘We’re going to have to get some food in,’ Opal muttered, glancing worriedly at the blizzard beyond the window. ‘Though goodness knows how we’re going to get through this lot. The nearest store is in Stockingford from here.’

‘I know where it is,’ Charlie assured her. ‘And don’t worry, I’ll get through. But do we have any money left for food? And where are we going to stay tonight?’

‘It looks like we’ll have to stay here,’ Opal replied. ‘I can give the room a clean and at least it’s dry. And yes, I do have a little money left from the money we got at the pawnbrokers, but not much.’

As she rummaged in the pocket of her dress and withdrew a few pennies, Charlie sighed. ‘We’re not going to get much with that.’