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pretend.”
    Ellie wondered about that but she nodded into his chest, “I will.”
    â€œThat’s enough now, you two,” her mother interrupted sharply. Ellie and her father exchanged a smile. “The other men are waiting for you. There’s no need to make a scene.”
    â€œYou’re right, my dear, as always.” He leaned into the pram to ruffle Charlie’s fair hair. “I’ll be back in no time. Take care!”
    With a last wave, he made his way through the crowd and climbed on to the bus. The driver clambered into his seat and started the engine, causing the smaller children to cheer with delight.
    Slowly the bus pulled away. Ellie watched her father joking with the other men. There was a deep, dragging ache in her chest. She glanced at her mother, whose shoulders looked stiffer than ever, her expression curiously frozen. Ellie felt a sudden urge to reach out and touch her, maybe even hug her. But she resisted, imagining her mother’s reaction. Still, perhaps her father was right. Mother wasn’t as strong as she liked to pretend. His leaving would affect her more than anyone. At least Ellie had Jack and her other friends. Mother kept everyone at a distance, even little Charlie.
    Ellie resolved to do all that she could to keep her mother happy from now on. No more arguing back. She would help out more around the house – as boring as it was. She nodded to herself. Everyone was having to do their part for the war effort and this would be hers. It would make Father happy when he came home at Christmas too.
    It was at this point that her mother swung sharply round, all trace of vulnerability gone from her face.
    â€œStop gawping, Eleanor, and straighten your dress – you look like one of the factory girls!”
    Ellie clenched her jaw. She felt her resolve sliding away like a dribble of milk on Charlie’s chin. She strode away to join Jack’s mother and sister Anna still standing in the crowd. They greeted her with sad smiles.
    Behind them, Jack was talking to the other musicians, laughing despite all his earlier complaints about being left behind. Ellie noticed that his father had not arrived to see Will off, but she knew better than to mention it.
    It was as though Mrs Scott had read her mind though. “Of course, Joe would have been here if he could have. He couldn’t get away from the factory. I’m sure he’s ever so proud of our Will, though.”
    â€œAre you?” said Anna with a raised eyebrow. “That’s not what he said to me.”
    Mrs Scott hushed her hastily, her cheeks flaming. “That’s enough out of you,” she hissed. “Go and get your little brother, before he tries to run away again.”
    Anna sauntered off, tossing her copper-coloured hair, and Mrs Scott and Ellie exchanged a smile, before looking back in the direction of the departing bus that was taking their men away from them.
    For Endstone, the war had truly begun.

Six
    Ellie woke early on her first day back at school, pushing back the coverlet with unusual enthusiasm and almost skipping to the basin to splash her face.
    She was not normally so happy to go to school. She found it desperately dull most of the time, often wondering if there were some kind of conspiracy to keep all interesting knowledge from the pupils. But anything had to be better than being cooped up in the house day after day, missing her father, wondering where he was and what he was doing.
    In the weeks since he had left, Ellie had done her very best to keep her promise to herself by helping her mother as much as she could, and not arguing with her. But if Mother had noticed the difference, she certainly wasn’t letting it show. If anything, her temper was shorter than ever, when she was speaking at all. She claimed agonizing headaches almost every day, and these sent her to her room, leaving Ellie to look after Charlie. Ellie loved her little brother, but he