However, Peggy knew that Ivy’s news and her absence from the wedding had hit Ruby hard, and her heart had gone out to the girl when she’d realised that Rita was also feeling bereft, and had kindly asked her to take Ivy’s place on the day. They were due to go shopping tomorrow, though goodness knew what they’d find with such few choices – and dull ones at that with all the cheap utility clothing filling the racks. If they didn’t find anything, perhaps she could ask Solly if he could get his hands on something decent – failing that, she’d try to find some good material and get one of the senior sewers to run up something more suitable at the factory.

Thinking about Rita brought Peggy back to Jack, and the difficult decision he’d had to make that day. She’d fretted over his meeting with Peter, hoping all would go well, and so was delighted when they’d returned home to tell her to prepare for another wedding as Jack had given his blessing to their future plans.

The young couple had gone to celebrate at the Anchor before getting Peter back to Cliffe, but Jack had stayed to confide in Peggy that although he liked the young Australian very much, and trusted his Rita into his care, it broke his heart to think of having to say goodbye to her when the time came.

Peggy had tried to find the right words to say, fully understanding his pain in the suffering she’d experienced after Anne and the two boys had left for Somerset. But at least they hadn’t gone to the other side of the world, were in touch by telephone, and would be home again by the end of summer. She gave a deep sigh and stubbed out her cigarette. She might yet lose Cissy to the heady delights of America, so she shouldn’t get too complacent.

Cissy was another worry, of course. The girl was clearly fretting at the lack of news from Randy, and after hearing of the experiences Freddy, Martin and Roger had gone through, she was beginning to doubt if he was still alive. And there was certainly enough evidence to justify that fear.

Randy had been with Freddy throughout their imprisonment, and from the information leaking out, it seemed they must have been involved in the death march from Poland down to Germany. The odds against him having survived that were extremely short, and the longer the silence stretched, the more likely it was he’d perished.