‘If only you’d reported Ben to the police and told them what he’d done they might have caught him by now and we might have got our money back!’ she stormed at her mother, as if everything that had happened was her fault.

‘I’m sorry, darling. I know how hard this is for you, but I couldn’t do that.’ Sunday reached out to her but Livvy backed away, her lovely blue eyes blazing in her pale face. ‘Your father would turn in his grave if I did that. He is your brother, remember,’ Sunday pointed out, but Livvy was inconsolable. She loved her home and the thought of losing it was like a knife in her heart.

‘I’ll never forgive him for what he’s done to us!’ she snapped, and turning on her heel she slammed out of the room.

Kathy was sitting at the table, her eyes dull and Sunday looked at her imploringly. ‘You understand why I can’t report him, don’t you?’

Kathy shrugged. Her whole world had fallen apart when Ben left but that wasn’t the only thing that was troubling her. She had now missed two of her courses and for the last few mornings she’d had to dash to the bathroom to be sick the second she lifted her feet over the side of the bed. Being a nurse, she was only too aware of what it could mean, and she was terrified. Her mother had so much to cope with at present, so how would she feel if she were to tell her that on top of everything else, she was also going to have to cope with the shame of having an illegitimate grandchild as well?

She pushed the thought away. Perhaps it’s just the upset that has caused all this, she tried to persuade herself, but the niggling doubt was there in the back of her mind all the time now.

‘Kathy … did you hear me?’ Her mother’s voice jerked Kathy’s thoughts back to the present.

‘Yes … I heard you, but it will be all right. Ben will come back, you’ll see.’ She had to hold on to that thought otherwise she would go mad.

‘Right then!’ Cissie stood back and rubbed her hands together with a satisfied smile.