Violet sipped it gratefully and Dolly watched her with concern. The young woman was deep in grief, anyone could see that. But she was now wondering if she’d missed something, something that her mother’s instinct would surely have picked up sooner if they hadn’t heard the tragic news about Eddy. She shut her eyes briefly. How stupid she’d been, too mired in all their misery to recognise the signs. A healthy person like Violet, too tired to get out of bed, sick in the mornings, losing weight. Yes, losing Eddy would have thrown her out of kilter and caused physical symptoms, but those particular ones? Her eyes went to Violet’s hunched figure, to see if there had been any change apart from the weight loss. Or maybe it was too soon.

Violet looked up from her glass and noticed her mother-in-law’s expression.

‘Violet,’ said Dolly steadily, ‘is there something you haven’t told me? This isn’t the first morning you’ve been sick. I know you’re still in shock and it could just be that, but even so …’

Violet set down her glass and slumped lower in the chair. ‘I don’t know, Mam. I feel so poorly. I think it’s finally hit me, what it all means, you know. That I’ll be on my own and he’s never coming home.’

Dolly’s heart went out to her and she moved across the room to stand beside the old chair and pat Violet on the shoulder. ‘I know, love. It’s hard. It’s so unfair, you two being so right together. He was a lovely lad and there’s never been one like him.’ She paused to sniff back her own tears. Now was not the time to break down. It wouldn’t help Violet – and she had to find out the truth. ‘What I wondered, though – and don’t take on if I’m wrong – I just thought, there might be another reason you’re sick?’

Violet looked up at her blankly.

‘Violet, think,’ said Dolly, trying to get through to her daughter-in-law. ‘Eddy was back in April, wasn’t he? Easter week, it was. Now it’s July. Count back, love. Can you remember if you’ve had your monthlies since then?’

Violet almost dropped her glass. She gasped and her hand went to her belly. ‘My … hang about, I don’t … did I …’ She shook her head. ‘Oh, Mam, I don’t know, but I don’t think so. What with all the restrictions and everything, I stopped bothering to check.’