Sadly, there had been no evidence for the police to link the death to the woman who was responsible and as far as Kathy knew she was still performing the illegal abortions. But no matter what happened, she decided, she would not be one of her victims. She was carrying Ben’s child and despite what he had done she still loved him. And of course she knew that she herself had been illegitimate before Sunday and Tom had adopted her and, after all the children her mother had helped, Kathy knew that if her mother ever found out she’d aborted a child, she would never forgive her.

Her mind went on to thoughts of David and despite the warmth she shivered. He still visited the lodge at least once a week and she still went out with him occasionally. He had been kindness itself to the family since they had left Treetops and she was aware that her mother was expecting them to announce their engagement any time soon. Up to now it had suited Kathy to let her think that – it was better than have her mother keep rambling on about how it was time she and Livvy thought about settling down. How would he take the news? They had never shared more than a perfunctory kiss, but he would be devastated at her betrayal. Still, that couldn’t be helped now. She must decide what she was going to do, because it was obvious she wouldn’t be able to keep the terrible secret for much longer. The dire morning sickness she had been suffering meant that she had lost weight, but even so, already the waistbands on her skirts were becoming uncomfortably tight and when she had glimpsed herself in the mirror the night before as she got out of the tin bath her slightly swollen stomach had looked out of proportion with the rest of her now skinny frame, which she had thought rather strange, as to her reckoning she could only be a little over three months pregnant. Surely the baby shouldn’t be showing this early? Perhaps she could go away? Tell her mother that she was being sent to work in another hospital for a time? But no, Sunday would want to visit her if she was going to be away from home for any length of time so that wouldn’t work. Panic gripped her then. What was she going to tell her mother? It would be a big enough blow for her to discover that she was about to be presented with an illegitimate grandchild but if she were ever to find out who its father was …

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door swung open and one of the other nurses strolled in.

‘All right, Kathy. Ooh, if I don’t get to the toilet soon, I’m sure I’m goin’ to wee meself.’