‘We’ll sort all that out soon enough,’ murmured Andy, nodding his thanks to Peggy. ‘For now I need to make sure my Ivy is all right.’

Gloria firmly took charge and led the distressed young couple out of the bar and into the private room at the back. ‘You’re tougher than you think, Ivy gel, and you’ve always got Andy and me and Peggy to support you. You stay ’ere until you feel ready to go home, love. There’s a spare bed if you need to stay the night.’

‘Did you know about this, Peggy?’ Ivy asked tearfully, settling into one of the deep couches.

‘Mrs De Vries telephoned me earlier, which is why I came straight over.’

Ivy reached for her hand. ‘Thanks, Aunty Peg, but I’m all right, really I am, and I do appreciate your offer of taking the kids in. But I might stay here tonight, if that’s okay. I don’t think I can face the others yet.’

‘Quite understandable,’ murmured Peggy, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek. ‘You’ll be all right here with Andy and Glo, and I’ll tell the others if that would help.’

Ivy nodded, the tears streaming down her face as Andy gathered her to him. A loud, persistent banging on the front door made them all jump.

‘I’ll have to open up,’ Gloria said crossly, ‘or they’ll have the bleedin’ thing off its hinges. Will you two be all right?’

Andy nodded. ‘I’ll look after her, Auntie Glo.’

‘Good lad.’ She kissed his brow and with a nod to Peggy they left the pair of them cuddled on the couch.

‘I’ll pop back later with some nightclothes and so on,’ said Peggy, giving Gloria a hug. ‘Let me know if there’s anything else I can do, won’t you?’

Gloria nodded and drew back the bolts as Peggy left through the back way. Life went on and opening hours were set in stone regardless of the tragedies being played out behind closed doors, but Gloria felt her life’s experience weighing heavy on her heart. This war had cost the life of her beloved only son and brought untold misery to thousands, and it seemed there was to be no end to it.

11

Jack Smith had fancied himself as quite the toff in the charcoal grey, three-piece demob suit, with its thin chalk stripe, crisp white shirt and smart tie. Highly polished brogues, plain cufflinks and a dark fedora finished off the outfit, and inside the small suitcase provided by a grateful government were a change of underwear, a tin of cigarettes, a bar of chocolate and half a dozen handkerchiefs.