Kitty ruffled the top of his head, because she knew it would annoy him. ‘Thanks, Tommy. It’s just what I need. I’ll go and hang up my coat.’ She gave a heartfelt sigh of relief once he couldn’t hear her. She really hadn’t felt like cooking after such a long day. Now she could tuck in to one of Dolly’s hearty meals, no doubt full of the root vegetables that she grew in the victory garden.

Tommy was scraping the last of the juices from his plate as she took her seat opposite him. Just as she had hoped, the food was delicious, as Dolly had always been a dab hand at making something out of nothing. ‘Next time I have a day off I’ll make Dolly and Pop a nice pie to make up for their kindness,’ she said. ‘Do you think they’d like that, Tommy?’

‘They’d love it, I bet,’ he said seriously. It hadn’t taken him long to realise that he’d been very privileged these last few years, living out on the farm and eating all the produce there. He’d barely noticed that food was rationed. Now he had to come to terms with the grim reality of powdered eggs and very meagre amounts of butter, as well as all the other shortages and restrictions. He knew that Kitty and Dolly often swapped and shared what was available, but it didn’t compare to what he’d taken for granted before.

Kitty polished off the last of the stew and reached across the table. ‘Give me your plate – I’ll wash up. Do you want to listen to the wireless for a bit? There might be a Glenn Miller concert – you like him.’

Tommy shook his head. ‘I’ll have an early night, I think,’ he said. ‘I had to cover a big area today and I’m dead beat.’

Kitty nodded at the maturity of this. Maybe he had learnt his lesson. ‘All right then. I’ll say good night now, and see you in the morning.’

‘Night, Kitty.’ Tommy gave her a grin and went clattering up the stairs two at a time.

Kitty went into the hall after him and locked the front door while she remembered. That had been Danny’s job, and she always made herself do it in good time now, in case it slipped her mind when she was more tired later on. Then she set about doing the washing-up and left the clean casserole dish on the table so she could take it back to Dolly’s the next day. She put on the kettle for a cup of tea and added one more log to the fire. Tommy might want an early bed, but she wanted to read for a while and to let the events of the day settle. Then she’d catch the late news on the wireless.