The majority of the first families who had come to Hollybank in search of help had now found permanent places of their own to live, whether it be with relatives, or somewhere outside Liverpool. That didn’t mean to say there wasn’t a steady stream of newcomers, all of whom were grateful for a meal and somewhere to lay their head, where they could get a decent night’s sleep in relative safety. However, new people meant Joyce’s time was taken up teaching them how to milk and muck out, and what food to give to which animals, which meant that Helen had taken over welcoming newcomers, making sure they were settled in and accounted for. It was typical, Joyce thought to herself, that as soon as Roz went away, however briefly, everything changed at the farm. They were now so full that Helen had said they would have to start putting people in with Roz and Joyce.

It was the morning that Roz was due home, and Joyce had just come back from overseeing the morning’s milking, when Helen met her halfway across the yard.

‘Another new girl has arrived, and this one’s a real land girl,’ she said, hoping this would diminish the disgruntled look on Joyce’s face. ‘So you’ve proper help again, and Roz is back today, so even better.’

‘Has this girl worked on a farm before, or are we her first?’ asked Joyce, a definite hint of scepticism in her voice. She added as an afterthought, ‘Has she met Bernie yet?’

The older woman flashed a toothy smile. ‘Yes, she has, and she’s not gone weak at the knees so you needn’t worry about that. Besides, I think our Bernie’s carrying a torch for Roz. I know she’s off with this Felix, but I can’t see it lasting, not with our Bernie showing an interest. He’s got a lot to offer, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Roz has gone to break things off with Felix so that she and Bernie can be together.’

Joyce tried to avoid eye contact with the older woman. She knew how keen Bernie’s mother was to see him settled and wed with a family of his own, but Joyce had spoken at length with Roz about Felix and if she was right, she thought Bernie and his mother were both in for a big disappointment.