He leapt to his feet. ‘Oh, Ivy,’ he breathed, reaching for her hands, his round face pink with delight. ‘You can’t possibly imagine how happy and relieved I am that you’ve come to this decision – and I know that Marjorie would want me to thank you from the bottom of her heart. The thought of losing those children has been a torture for both of us over these past few days.’

Embarrassed by his emotional reaction, she gently withdrew her hands from his grasp and folded her arms. ‘Yeah, well, it weren’t easy, ’cos they are family, and there’s so few of us left it didn’t feel like a decision to be made in an ’urry.’ She took a shallow breath. ‘And I’m only agreeing to it on one condition.’

His delight faded and he frowned. ‘What condition?’

‘That I can write to them so they don’t forget who I am and where they come from. If they want to write back, then so much the better – though I don’t expect they will until they get older and can really understand why things turned out the way they have.’

Richard’s smile was soft with relief. ‘If that is your only condition, then Marjorie and I will be delighted to comply.’ He regarded Ivy who was still standing by the door, her arms folded tightly around her waist. ‘I know it’s been a difficult decision to face, my dear, but you’re clearly wise and generous of heart to realise it’s the best outcome for George and Elsie.’ He smiled. ‘Best for you too, I imagine. As a young woman about to be married, it would have been extremely difficult to take on two children you hardly know.’

Ivy admitted silently that it would have been a lot to ask of Andy, but that hadn’t been the reason behind her decision. ‘I dunno nothing about wise and generous of heart,’ she muttered. ‘All I know is I been watching ’em all week, and realised they’d never fit in with me and Andy in a poky London flat above a chippy, and would get an ’ard time of it from the other kids at the local state school with their posh talk and ways of doing things.’

She gave a sigh and looked round the room. ‘They belong ’ere with you and Marjorie in this lovely ’ouse, not in some back street of Walthamstow. You both done a marvellous job of raising them, Mr Johnson, and you should be proud of that. Them kids love yer, and it wouldn’t ’ave been right to take ’em away.’

There were tears glistening in Richard’s eyes as he reached once more for her hands. ‘Saying thank you feels inadequate, Ivy, but I want you to know that George and Elsie will be loved and cherished until we draw our last breath.’