Ivy was tearful as she gave Peggy a hug. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without yer,’ she said gruffly. ‘But don’t go to any trouble just yet, Auntie Peg. I could be away for a while, and I need to see how the land lies down there before I bring ’em home. They might be too upset to travel straight away – and then of course, me brothers could turn up and ’ave different ideas about what to do.’ With that she hurried out of the kitchen and ran upstairs, Rita following closely behind her.

The mood in the kitchen had changed with Ivy’s arrival, and once the food had been eaten, the table was quietly cleared, and the crockery washed and dried almost in silence until Cordelia suggested they should have a whip-round to help Ivy with the train fares.

Everyone had been touched by Ivy’s plight and chipped in generously before drifting off to get on with their day. Cissy took Harvey for his walk, Danuta left for church, and Sarah went with her sister for a stroll up to the dairy while Jack made his excuses and went into the back garden to inspect the Norton motorbike that he and Rita had restored before the war.

Peggy and Cordelia sat in the kitchen, deep in their own thoughts, as Daisy built towers of wooden bricks and knocked them over. The past week had brought so much tragedy and sadness that it was hard to believe the war was over in Europe, for the consequences were still being revealed in all their horror. Charlotte would be raising Freddy’s twins without their father; the youngsters in Salisbury would never see their parents again, and Ivy had been thrust into the role of caring for them instead of being free to enjoy her new married life with Andy.

Cordelia’s thoughts seemed to be in line with Peggy’s, for she looked over her half-moon glasses and asked, ‘Do you think he’ll stick by her now she’ll have the children to look after?’

‘I hope he proves to be the man I believe he is,’ said Peggy. ‘But it will be hard for both of them, and only time will tell.’

Ruby had woken to the delicious aroma of coffee and sizzling bacon and wondered if she was still dreaming. Throwing on her tatty old dressing gown and digging her feet into her slippers, she’d shuffled into the kitchen to find Mike busy at the range.

He’d greeted her with a kiss and then explained that he’d used his initiative and followed the aroma of cooking to the factory estate canteen where the lady in charge had been delighted to sell him the makings of what Ruby called a Full English breakfast.