It was Sis’s turn to spend her life in a state of acute worry about Percy. Tanks were being used more and more often in the fighting to try and break through the Hindenburg Line. In parts the Germans had dug trenches so deep and well defended that the line seemed impregnable. And in the early spring it was the Germans who were pushing west, forcing a bulge in the allied front. By April though, they had still not broken through. The war had taken on a terrible, unresolved permanence and everyone was worn down with it, sickened, exhausted. Jess did, after all, see Ned again, and quite soon. One Sunday in May, he and Mary arrived at the house, Ned carrying Ruth in his arms. It was Olive who opened the door. ‘Oh. It’s you.’ She stood firmly on the step. ‘What d’yer want?’ The cousins heard her voice from the back room and looked at each other. Ronny ran through to see. ‘We wanted to come and see yer, Auntie,’ Ned said, hesitantly. Mary was obviously eager to take over the talking.
