Peggy finally drew breath, but she wasn’t finished. ‘And now you’ve hurt your son by hounding him out with your silences and disapproval. He came home with his wife and son to settle here close to his family – but he and Betty are on the very brink of going back to Devon. And if they do, Pauline, you’ll probably never see them again.’

She leaned even closer until she could feel the warmth of Pauline’s breath on her face. ‘Is that what you really want? Because you’re going the right way about it, and I wouldn’t blame them a bit.’

‘He wouldn’t do that,’ Pauline moaned. ‘He knows how much I mourned for his brothers and wouldn’t be so cruel as to deny me my only surviving son.’

Peggy stepped back and folded her arms, her furious gaze fixed steadily on Pauline’s ashen face. ‘He wouldn’t want to, certainly. But if things don’t improve, he very well might, and then you’ll have lost all your sons – and I doubt Frank would ever forgive you for that.’

‘Frank is a man and doesn’t feel things as deeply as I do,’ she muttered, reaching into her jacket pocket for a handkerchief.

‘Tosh!’ exploded Peggy. She gripped Pauline’s skinny shoulders and shook her so hard her headscarf fell off and her handbag hit the floor. ‘Wake up and grow up,’ she snapped. ‘Frank cares much more than you could ever imagine. It’s why he stays with you. And the same goes for your mother and sister and son. Though God knows why they still love you after the way you’ve treated them over the years.’

She stepped back again to coldly regard this loathsome woman who’d made her lose her temper.

Pauline’s face was almost translucent but for the bright red finger marks on her cheek. There were tears in her eyes and her bottom lip was trembling like a toddler’s.

Peggy felt no pity, just exasperation, so left her to stew over what she’d said while she poured them both a cup of tea.

‘I didn’t realise how nasty you could be,’ Pauline said eventually. ‘You put on that smile and come over all warm and lovely, when in reality you’re a complete bitch.’

‘It takes one to know one.’ Peggy pushed the cup and saucer towards her as she plumped down in a chair. ‘Drink your tea, Pauline, and give some serious thought to what you’re going to do next.’

‘That’s very wise advice, Pauline. I should take it, if I were you.’

‘Dolly! Where did you spring from?’ asked a delighted Peggy, going to hug her.

‘What are you doing here?’ Pauline demanded belligerently.