She watched Cordelia struggling to make sense of what she’d done with her knitting, and gently took it from her to see if she could unravel the tangles. It proved to be beyond her too, so she unwound it all and started again, swiftly completing several rows before handing it back.

‘Thank you, dear,’ muttered Cordelia. ‘I don’t know how I get into such a mess. This is only supposed to be a square to add to the blanket I’m making. It’s hardly complicated.’

She began to knit, promptly dropped two stitches and gave a deep sigh of frustration as she failed to pick them up properly and dropped two more. ‘I’m all fingers and thumbs,’ she said crossly, abandoning the square and stuffing it into her knitting bag. ‘This blessed arthritis makes everything difficult, and I did so want to finish the blanket before we have another winter.’

‘I wouldn’t fret on it, Cordy,’ soothed Peggy. ‘The weather will get warmer now we’re almost in June, and you’ll find the arthritis will ease.’

Cordelia glared at her. ‘Betting on whether or not I’ll ever finish it in a blue moon is hardly a very kind way of putting it,’ she said. ‘I thought better of you, Peggy Reilly.’

Peggy took a deep breath and pointed to Cordelia’s hearing aid, willing her to turn it on. But before she could repeat what she’d said, Ron came stumping out of the basement in his second-best attire.

‘That expression would sour milk,’ said Cordelia, twiddling her hearing aid and making it screech. ‘Whatever’s the matter with you today?’

‘Nothing,’ he replied moodily, jamming his pipe in his mouth and lighting a match.

‘Well, something’s up,’ said Peggy. ‘You’ve been going about all day in a terrible grump. Is Rosie still being stand-offish?’

Ron got his pipe going before explaining about Rosie’s sudden departure and her lack of any communication with him. ‘I’ll be working at the Anchor when I’m not on fire-watch or Home Guard duties,’ he said, ‘so don’t expect me back until late.’

Peggy and Cordelia watched him trudge down the path and through the gate, Harvey following closely behind. ‘It’s odd that Rosie didn’t leave some sort of message for him,’ said Peggy. ‘It’s so unlike her to hold a grudge – and Ron’s behaviour the other night couldn’t really be classed as all that unusual. She knows what he’s like with a few beers inside him.’

‘Perhaps it was one time too many,’ said Cordelia sagely. ‘Every woman has her limits as to how much she will stand from her man. I certainly wouldn’t put up with it.’

Peggy silently agreed, and could only hope that Rosie hadn’t done something stupid to get her own back on Ron. ‘You’re lucky Bertie’s such a gentleman,’ she murmured.