Roz shook her head. ‘Not a clue, and I’d prefer it if we kept it that way. What the head doesn’t know the heart cannot grieve over. I’m in love with Felix, and that’s all that matters.’

‘Well, we won’t say anything, will we?’ said Joyce.

Adele nodded heartily. ‘I’ve a rule of thumb to stay out of other people’s relationships. It only causes grief in the long run, no matter how good your intentions.’ She leaned back in her chair. ‘Do you ever hear anything from that rotten family you stayed with in Liverpool?’

Joyce raised her brow in surprise. ‘You never told me anything about a rotten family?’

Roz grimaced. ‘To be honest, I’d rather forget about them, although from what I’ve heard …’ She suddenly fell silent as a familiar and unwelcome face appeared in the doorway behind Joyce. ‘You!’ hissed Roz. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’

Suzie rolled her eyes. ‘Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse …’ She stopped abruptly, as Joyce turned to face her.

Standing up so fast that her chair toppled over, Joyce stared at Suzie, her hands clasped across her mouth.

Suzie stared back, her eyes wide, all colour having drained from her face as if she’d seen a ghost. Tears brimming in her eyes, she spoke quietly, as though she couldn’t believe what she was about to say. ‘Mam?’

CHAPTER EIGHT

For a moment Roz thought she must be dreaming, so she pinched the skin on the back of her hand to confirm that she was indeed awake. She had heard what Suzie had said, but she was having difficulty in believing her own ears, and indeed would have thought she had misheard if it wasn’t for the fact that both Suzie and Joyce were staring at each other as if there was no one else in the room.

Without waiting to hear what Joyce had to say, Suzie ran out of the cottage, slamming the door behind her as she went.

Joyce stared wide-eyed at Roz and Adele. ‘I – I …’ was all she could manage before sinking back into her seat.

Roz stared at the shut door before turning her attention back to Joyce. ‘Now I understand why you don’t want to go back to Liverpool. It’s not the bombings you’re afraid of, it’s him. Am I right?’

Joyce nodded slowly. ‘I realise how this must look, but it’s complicated. I didn’t run away from Suzie, and I very much wanted to see her again, of course I did, she’s my daughter, but not like this. She didn’t deserve to see me like this …’ A confused frown furrowed her brow, and she looked at Roz. ‘How do you know them?’