‘Don’t worry, I’ll mention it to him when he comes in for breakfast,’ Sunday promised. ‘And if he hasn’t got time to go into town and pay the bills, I’ll do it. I have a meeting with the councillors anyway later this afternoon about the new phase of council houses they’re planning to build so it wouldn’t be any trouble.’

‘Hm, well just see as yer do,’ Cissie said grumpily. ‘I’ve never known us to be in the red before in all the years we’ve lived ’ere!’

Kathy breezed into the kitchen then, looking bright-eyed and happy, and for now the topic of the unpaid bills was dropped. Sunday ushered her to the table with a smile. It was lovely to see her looking so happy and as David was still a regular visitor to the house Sunday secretly hoped that it was because their relationship was developing. Kathy certainly showed all the signs of being in love, but Sunday had had enough young women in this house to know that asking about it would just cause Kathy to clam up, so she would have to wait and see and let nature take its course.

As it turned out it was mid-morning before Sunday managed to have a moment alone with Ben. One of the horses had sprained a leg and Ben was spending a lot of time with him so he had missed breakfast.

Cissie was working in the wash house tackling a pile of dirty sheets when he eventually came into the kitchen to grab a hot drink and she instantly asked, ‘How is Thunder? Any better?’

Ben nodded curtly as he seated himself at the table. ‘The vet thinks he’ll be fine. We just have to make sure he rests it. We can’t afford to lose him, he’s one of our best studs.’ Ben had bred him and had a huge soft spot for the creature, but then he was fond of all the horses. In fact, Sunday sometimes wondered, particularly lately, if he didn’t prefer the company of them to people.

She quickly made him a sandwich and a pot of tea and as it was mashing, she suddenly remembered the conversation she’d had with Cissie that morning and said tentatively, ‘Oh, Cissie told me that both the butcher and the grocer are waiting for payment.’ When he scowled, she hurried on, ‘Don’t worry about it. I know how busy you’ve been, but I thought I could pay them this afternoon if you give me the money. I have to go into town anyway. It wouldn’t be any trouble.’

‘I’ll see to it,’ he answered, his voice sullen. ‘I have to go into town an’ all so I’ll do it then.’