Ron stood deep in thought at the gate for a long while, and then took his ferrets indoors. He’d go to see Stan later, and ask him for some of his special roses from his allotment to give Rosie as a peace offering and to thank her for finding his ferrets – and then he’d find out just what she’d been up to. But in the meantime he would tend to Flora and Dora, who must be very unsettled after their long ordeal.

10

The planes had been very noisy all night, and Peggy could only assume that as soon as the fog had lifted, the heavy bombardment of the northern coast of France was on again. Her hopes were high that the invasion had begun as she bathed and dressed herself and Daisy, but when she went downstairs to the kitchen, it was to discover that there’d been no mention of it on the wireless, so she had to conclude it had yet to happen.

She kissed Sarah and Rita good morning and settled Daisy on a cushion so she could reach the table. It was still very early, but the girls had seen to breakfast and were already washing up the dirty dishes Fran and Ivy had left behind in their rush to get to their shifts on time.

‘Oh, you are good girls,’ she said, having to shout above the racket being made by the RAF. ‘But you mustn’t think you have to clear up after everyone just because you can’t go to work today.’ She eyed the heavy strapping on Sarah’s ankle and Rita’s knee. ‘How are you both doing after yesterday?’

Sarah placed tea and toast on the table and cracked open Daisy’s boiled egg so the toddler could dip in her toast soldiers. ‘My shoulder feels a bit bruised where the doctor manipulated it back in place, but my ankle certainly won’t let me walk all the way to Cliffe.’

She shot a glance at Rita, who was, unusually, wearing a skirt and jumper and determinedly tidying up discarded knitting and newspapers, even though she was clearly in pain and had to rely on an old walking stick of Ron’s to get about. ‘You need to have a word with Rita,’ Sarah confided. ‘Her knee has ballooned to such an extent she can no longer wear her trousers, and Fran told her she should go in for an X-ray to make sure she hasn’t broken something. She even offered to send an ambulance out, but Rita refused.’

‘Fran’s being over-cautious,’ said Rita. ‘It’s just a nasty wrench, and now Ron’s lent me this stick, I can get down to the fire station and help service the engines while there are no raids on.’

‘Well, I think you should heed Fran’s advice,’ said Sarah sternly. ‘You could have done some real damage, and walking on it will make it worse.’