CHAPTER TWELVE
LONDON, SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 9 1944
A dull, somewhat drizzly day. Spots of rain on the kitchen windowsill. Elsie, up and dressed for work earlier than usual, is surprised to find she is not first down. Grace is heating up porridge on the cooker and places have been set at the table for breakfast. Grace is cutting bread for toast and the kettle is boiling for the tea. Elsie wonders what is going on. “Was your bed on fire?” she enquires drily.
“No, cheeky monkey. The doc says I must take regular exercise.”
“Maybe,” is Elsie’s reply. “This, though, goes beyond all expectations.”
She is invited to sit down at the table. Grace says that she is doing this purely for the exercise and not for her daughter’s benefit. She also points out that there were mud marks on the hall floor
