“You are very kind,” Emily said. “But I am hopeful this will work out for me. One thing I am sure of—I’m not going to give up my child.”

She joined the others packing up their belongings.

“I can’t say I’ll be sorry to leave this dump,” Alice said. “It’s getting ruddy cold in here now that winter’s coming. And I won’t be sorry to stop planting ruddy onions either.”

“I feel the same,” Daisy said. “Although I enjoyed having all of you to talk to. That part was fun, wasn’t it? And I liked the apple picking. And when the three of us were working in Lady Charlton’s garden.”

“You can come and help me push the mower when we are back there, if you’ve a mind to, Daisy,” Emily chuckled.

Daisy looked worried. “What if Lady Charlton doesn’t want another maid? What if nobody wants me there?”

Alice put an arm around her bony shoulders. “Don’t you worry, love. We’re not going to leave you out in the cold. We’ll find a place for you, I promise. But I think the old lady would need her head examined if she didn’t take up your kind offer of being her maid. Anyone can see that house is in need of a good cleaning.”

“You’re all right, you lot,” Maud said, entering their conversation. “You’ve got it figured out. I haven’t. I could go home, but my mum is always bossing me around, and I’ve six brothers and sisters, and I have to share a bed, and there’s no work for me to do.”

“Make sure you give us your address, Maud,” Alice said. “If we find something for you, we’ll let you know.”

“Will you really? You’re so kind. You’re a good lot, all of you.”

Her round, placid face broke into a big smile.

The next morning, an old, rickety lorry took the other girls into Tavistock and then returned to drive Emily, Alice and Daisy up to Bucksley Cross. They were deposited, with their suitcases, at the bottom of the village green. Emily and Daisy let Alice go ahead into the pub. She seemed to be in there for quite a while, and then she came out, beaming.

“Nell Lacey nearly wept when I told her what we were suggesting. She said she had no idea how she was going to cope when her bloke came home and I must be an angel from heaven.”

They waited for her to say more. She saw their faces, then added. “Oh, and I said you might be staying at the pub, depending on how things went. You can bring your things in for now, anyway.”

There was a big fire now burning in the bar, and the room was deliciously warm. Nell poured them all a cup of tea, and they sat close to the fire. Emily hesitated for as long as she could, then said, “Well, I suppose I had better get it over with. At least, I want to know.”

“Know what?” Mrs Lacey asked.

“She wants to move into the cottage.”

Nell threw back her head and laughed. “I shouldn’t think there would be a single reason to prevent you from doing that, my lovey. Who else would want to live there?”

“It’s more complicated than that,” Emily said. “But I hope you are right.”

She buttoned her overcoat over the uniform that she’d be wearing for the last time and walked resolutely up the drive to Bucksley House. This time, she rang the front doorbell. Mrs Trelawney opened it, the suspicion showing in her face when she saw Emily.

“Oh, it’s you again. What do you want?”

“I’d like to speak to Lady Charlton please,” Emily said, as pleasantly as she could. “Is she available?”

“I’ll go and see.” The woman turned and walked away, leaving Emily standing on the front step. She returned, frowning. “Her Ladyship will see you. Wipe your feet.”

Emily wiped her feet dutifully on the doormat, then followed Mrs Trelawney down the hall to the drawing room. The old lady was sitting by the fire, and she looked up with a smile of anticipation when Emily came in. “Well, this is a delightful surprise,” she said. “I thought you had gone for good. I imagined you’d be on your way to Australia by now. In fact, I got out the atlas to see if I could trace your sea journey.” She glanced up at Mrs Trelawney, who was hovering in the doorway. “We will have coffee served in here right away, Mrs Trelawney. And some of your gingerbread.” She turned back to Emily. “Do sit down, my dear. Pull a chair up to the fire. The weather has turned quite cold.”

Emily moved an upholstered chair closer to the fire and looked up to see Lady Charlton staring at her. “Have you decided to become a man?”

“A man?” Emily was confused. She had practised so many times what she wanted to say, and this had completely thrown her.

“Your hair, young lady. It makes you look like a man.”

“Oh, my hair.” Emily put her hand up to the unfamiliar bob. “I decided to be a modern woman, and it’s so much easier than long hair.”

Lady Charlton was still frowning. “I have to say that it suits you, although I have no wish to become a modern woman myself. So has the trip to Australia been postponed?”

Emily took a deep breath. “I won’t be going to Australia any longer, Lady Charlton,” she said. “You see, my young man was killed. His plane crashed.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. What a shock for you.”

“Yes,” Emily said, her voice breaking. “A great shock.”