“You should come with Emily and me to the village,” Alice said.

“What village? When?”

“When we’re kicked out of this,” Alice said. “I’m going to see if Nell Lacey wants help at the pub and Emily’s going to move into the cottage.”

“That cottage? The haunted one?” Daisy looked worried. “Why?”

“Because I want a place of my own, Daisy. A place where no one knows me.”

“Why would you do that?” Daisy was frowning. “You’ve got a nice home to go to.”

“I haven’t. I can’t go home any more. I’m going to have a baby.”

“Blimey,” she said, picking up Alice’s favourite swear word.

“Please don’t tell the others yet.”

“Oh, I won’t. How awful for you. But at least you’re not going to let them send you to one of those homes. I’ve heard about them. Terrible places, and they won’t even let you see the baby after it’s born.”

“No, I have no intention of going to any home,” Emily said. “Somehow or another, I’m going to make this work for me and my baby.”

“And you think the old lady will let you live in her cottage?” Daisy asked.

“I have no idea. I’ll have to see, and if not, then I’ll think again, but I’d like it there, and I’d like to be near Alice in the pub.”

“And what about me? You can’t leave me behind,” Daisy said. “I want to go where you go.”

“Maybe one of the other women will want a helper,” Alice said. “Mrs Upton in the shop, or Mrs Soper at the smithy.”

Daisy had to smile. “I don’t see myself as a blacksmith,” she said. “But I do know how to be a housemaid. Old Lady Charlton only has that one maid, Ethel, and she’s old and short-sighted, isn’t she? I’ve seen the dust in that place.”

“But I thought you didn’t want to go back into service,” Alice said.

“I don’t, but I think I’ll go where I’m needed for now. And I’d be close to the two of you.”

“Rightio,” Alice said, clapping her hands together. “That’s settled then.”

“If we’re all to go to the village together,” Emily said, “then there is something you have to do for me.”

“What’s that?” Alice asked.

“See if you can get some scissors and cut off my hair, too!”

Daisy ran down to the office, then came back with a big pair of scissors. Emily took the pins out of her roll of hair. She shook it out and it fell loose over her shoulders.

“You do it, Alice,” Daisy said. “I’d be afraid I’d mess up.”

“Are you sure about this, Emily?” Alice asked, glancing nervously at Daisy. “It’s a big step to take. Daisy and me, we’ve got nothing to lose, but your family . . .”

“Absolutely,” Emily said forcefully. “I’m not letting you two be modern women if I can’t be one, too.”

“Right then. Here we go.” Alice picked up a length of Emily’s hair and there was a satisfying snipping sound. The lock of hair tumbled to the floor. Emily sat still, holding her breath while hair piled up on the floor around her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The end of their stint in the Women’s Land Army came sooner than expected. A spate of bad weather set in, turning fields into lakes. It was clear no more planting could be done. Miss Foster-Blake assembled the women.

“His Majesty’s government thanks you for your service,” she said. “Most of you will not be needed again until next spring, and not even then if the war is over and the men have returned home. I am asking for volunteers to stay on and work with farmers who have animals throughout the winter. We have requests for milking assistance, plus one for pigs. You may be called upon to serve again next spring.”

“You ain’t catching me working with no pigs,” Alice muttered to Emily, who was standing beside her. “And I wasn’t too hot at milking either.”

“I don’t mind volunteering for the pigs,” came a voice at the back, and they turned in surprise to see it was Mrs Anson.

She smiled at the horrified faces. “I am actually fascinated with pigs. Such intelligent creatures, and the piglets are adorable.”

A couple of hands were raised for milking duties.

“Thank you,” Miss Foster-Blake said. “And the rest of you, there will be some kind of transportation coming for you in the morning to take you into Tavistock.”

Emily approached her as the others dispersed. “We plan to go back to Bucksley Cross,” she said. “Do you think the bus or van could take us there tomorrow?”

When the older woman looked surprised, Emily said, “We are hoping to work up there and spend the winter.”

“Do you have someone who will take you in?” Miss Foster-Blake asked, a worried expression on her face.

“I hope so. I think I’ve come up with a plan. If it doesn’t work, then I will have to think again, but Alice has a place where she will be welcome, so she’ll keep an eye on me. And Daisy will probably have a job, too.”

Miss Foster-Blake put a tentative hand on Emily’s arm. “Are you sure you are doing the right thing, my dear? It can be quite cold and bleak up near the moor like that. And far from a doctor, I should imagine. I’ll give you my card, and you can always contact me if you change your mind about the home.”