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Ellen?’
    â€˜It’s not the Commander I’m thinking of,’ said Ellen stubbornly. ‘It’s Fliss. A young mother should be contented and happy, not scared and lonely for her people.’
    â€˜There’s the British Military Hospital in Kowloon. There will be other young wives just like Fliss having babies. She’ll make lots of friends. The Navy looks after its own, Ellen. The naval base is called HMS Tamar after the river. That’s a nice familiar Devonshire name, isn’t it?’
    â€˜Even so what the name of the base has to do with whether Fliss is happy or not I can’t see.’
    Caroline and Fox exchanged glances while Ellen sipped angrily at her tea and set down the cup with a clatter in its saucer.
    â€˜The point is,’ said Caroline, who came from an army background and could sympathise with both points of view, ‘there is nothing we can do. If Fliss senses our fears for her she’ll be even more distressed. The way I see it, the less she has to think about, the better. Of course she’s worried about leaving us all and going so far away, let alone the anxiety about having her first baby among strangers, but there are no options. She thinks it would be wrong – and I agree with her – to stay behind. The least we can do is to go along with her brave attitude that it’s all a great adventure otherwise we shall undermine her courage—’
    The door opened and Fliss came into the kitchen. The instant silence was so charged with emotion that she stood for a moment looking at them each in turn. They stared back at her, shocked and unmoving, as if they were all playing the game known as statues.
    â€˜Sorry,’ she said, smiling but looking faintly anxious. ‘Did I interrupt something?’
    â€˜Only,’ said Ellen, rising heavily to her feet, ‘ only the old argument about that dratted cooker. Terrible waste of money to my mind, though Mrs Chadwick meant well. It may be cleaner and more convenient but what we’d do without the Aga on a morning like this I don’t know. But I do know that sitting talking about it is getting us nowhere. And me behind with the breakfasts.’
    Caroline smiled at Fliss as she slid into a chair. ‘Tea?’
    â€˜Please.’ Fliss sighed contentedly. ‘I must say I agree with Ellen. I love this kitchen. I was always so cold when we came back from Kenya and it was such a lovely cosy place to be. It was my favourite room in those days.’
    â€˜Remember our games of dominoes?’ Fox beamed at her from his rocking chair. ‘And Ellen’s tin of Sharps toffees?’
    â€˜Oh, yes, I do,’ said Fliss. ‘See-through paper with different coloured squiggles on them. I always liked the red best although I suspect the toffees all tasted the same.’
    â€˜And that Susanna,’ said Ellen, bustling back again, ‘always wanting one in each hand. Terror, she was.’
    â€˜Rather typical of Susanna, wouldn’t you say?’ suggested Caroline. ‘Seizing life with both hands and refusing to let go. She hasn’t changed.’
    â€˜I’m glad she’s decided to do her art course at Bristol,’ said Fliss, leaning both elbows on the table and cradling her cup in her hands. ‘It’s a comfort to know that she’ll be staying with Aunt Prue to start with. She doesn’t know anyone in Bristol and she’d be terribly lonely.’
    There was a tiny silence.
    â€˜Make friends in no time, she will,’ said Fox bracingly. ‘Right taking little maid, she be.’
    â€˜I quite agree,’ smiled Caroline. ‘Poor old Mole used to have such difficulty with her on the train going to and fro school. She’d talk to anyone.’
    â€˜That’s why I’m glad she’ll be with Aunt Prue,’ said Fliss. ‘Dear old Sooz has no discrimination. Everyone’s a friend. Goodness knows who she’d find