Roz made her way up the long drive leading to Hollybank Farm. Her days with Felix had been the best in her life, and she had left content in the knowledge that her relationship with him was based on love and not circumstance. He was the man for her and she was totally and utterly in love with him. For a long time all she had thought about was how dreadful everything was, but since reuniting with Felix, she actually saw hope for her future, something which she never thought she would do. She knew that Joyce would be eager to hear her news, and Bernie disappointed, but she hadn’t promised him anything, and even though she suspected he hoped that she would become his belle, she had been honest with him from the start so her conscience was clear. She thought of Mabel, in whom she had always confided her thoughts and doubts, but when it came to Felix she had kept quiet. Walking into the yard, she saw Joyce and Helen deep in conversation outside the door to the cottage. Joyce waved in greeting, followed a second or so later by Helen.

‘So? How was Lincoln?’ said Joyce, eager to hear the news, but Roz, who didn’t feel like discussing her private life in front of Bernie’s mother, waved a dismissive hand.

‘Plenty of time for that later. How’s tricks here?’

‘Helen’s just been telling me how we’re finally getting a proper land girl, someone who knows what she’s doing!’ said Joyce, beaming with delight.

‘When?’ asked Roz, eager to know when their real help would arrive.

Mrs Lewis nodded towards Rose Cottage. ‘She’s already arrived.’ She glanced at Joyce. ‘She came when you were showing the others how to do the milking.’

Roz looked interested. ‘Another batch of new recruits, I take it?’

Joyce rolled her eyes. ‘I welcome the help, and I know you do too, but sometimes it feels like I’m trying to teach a blind man to bowl – half the time you’d be quicker doing the work yourself.’

Helen grimaced apologetically. ‘And I was just going to tell you that another stray’s turned up.’

‘Oh blimey,’ sighed Joyce. ‘Any good?’

Helen shrugged. ‘Hard to tell, she doesn’t say much. The feller that brought her here said she’s hardly spoken nor eaten anything since losing her family in the blitz.’

Joyce and Roz exchanged surprised glances. ‘But that was months ago!’ said Roz. ‘Where’s she been all this time?’

‘They think she’s been wandering around like a lost soul,’ Helen said. ‘I told the feller to leave her with us, and we’d see what we could do.’

‘Perhaps she’ll begin to come out of her shell once she starts working with the animals,’ said Roz, ‘they normally do.’ She hefted her rucksack onto her shoulder. ‘Let’s get inside and meet the new land girl.’