From that day, Maisie began to take a far greater interest in what Harry got up to at school. She enjoyed listening to his stories about Mr Holcombe and what he'd taught him that day, and as the stripes didn't reappear, she assumed he must have stopped playing truant. And then one night just before going to bed, she checked on the sleeping child and found that the stripes were back, redder and deeper than before. She didn't need to go and see Mr Holcombe, because he called in at the tea shop the following day.

'He managed to come to my class for a whole month,' said Mr Holcombe, 'and then he disappeared again.'

'But I don't know what more I can do,' said Maisie helplessly. 'I've already stopped his pocket money, and told him not to expect another penny from me unless he stays at school. The truth is, his uncle Stan has far more influence over him than I do.'

'More's the pity,' said Mr Holcombe. 'But I may have found a solution to our problem, Mrs Clifton. However, it has no chance of succeeding without your full cooperation.'

Maisie assumed that although she was only twenty-six, she would never marry again. After all, widows with a child in tow were not much of a catch when there were so many single women available. The fact that she always wore her engagement and wedding rings probably cut down the number of propositions she received at the tea shop, although one or two still tried it on. She didn't include dear old Mr Craddick, who just liked to hold her hand.

Mr Atkins was one of Miss Tilly's regulars, and he liked to sit at one of the tables where Maisie was serving. He dropped in most mornings, always ordering a black coffee and a piece of fruit cake. To Maisie's surprise, after he'd paid his bill one morning, he invited her to the cinema.

'Greta Garbo in Flesh and the Devil,' he said, trying to make it sound more tempting.

This wasn't the first time one of the customers had asked Maisie out, but it was the first time someone young and good-looking had shown any interest.

In the past, her stock response had succeeded in putting off the most persistent of suitors. 'How kind of you, Mr Atkins, but I like to spend any spare time I have with my son.'

'Surely you could make an exception for just one evening?' he said, not giving up quite as easily as the others.

Maisie glanced quickly at his left hand: no sign of a wedding ring, or, even more damning, a pale circle revealing that one had been removed.

She heard herself saying, 'How kind of you, Mr Atkins,' and agreed to meet him on Thursday evening, after she'd put Harry to bed.

'Call me Eddie,' he said, leaving a sixpenny tip.

Maisie was impressed when Eddie turned up in a Flatnose Morris to drive her to the cinema. And to her surprise, all he got up to while they sat together in the back row was to watch the film. She wouldn't have complained if he had put an arm around her shoulder. In fact, she was considering how far she would let him go on their first date.

After the curtain came down, the organ lit up and they all rose to sing the National Anthem.

'Care for a drink?' asked Eddie as they made their way out of the cinema.

'I ought to be getting home before the trams pack up for the night.'

'You don't have to worry about the last tram, Maisie, when you're with Eddie Atkins.'

'All right then, just a quick one,' she said as he guided her across the road to the Red Bull.

'So what do you do, Eddie?' Maisie asked as he placed a half pint of orange squash on the table in front of her.

'I'm in the entertainment business,' he said, without going into any detail. Instead, he switched the subject back to Maisie. 'I don't have to ask what you do.'

After a second orange juice, he looked at his watch and said, 'I've got an early start tomorrow, so I'd better get you home.'

On the way back to Still House Lane, Maisie chatted about Harry, and how she was hoping he would join the choir at Holy Nativity. Eddie seemed genuinely interested, and when he brought the car to a halt outside No. 27, she waited for him to kiss her. But he just jumped out, opened the car door for her and accompanied Maisie to her front door.

Maisie sat at the kitchen table and told her mother everything that had happened, or not happened, that night. All Grandma had to say was, 'What's his game?'

13

WHEN MAISIE SAW Mr Holcombe walk into Holy Nativity accompanied by a smartly dressed man, she assumed that Harry must be in trouble again. She was surprised, because there hadn't been any red marks for over a year.

She braced herself as Mr Holcombe headed towards her, but the moment he saw Maisie he simply gave her a shy smile before he and his companion slipped into the third pew on the other side of the aisle.

From time to time, Maisie glanced across to look at them, but she didn't recognize the other man, who was considerably older than Mr Holcombe. She wondered if he might be the headmaster of Merrywood Elementary.

When the choir rose to sing the first anthem, Miss Monday glanced in the direction of the two men, before nodding to the organist to show that she was ready.

Maisie felt that Harry excelled himself that morning, but she was surprised when a few minutes later he rose to sing a second solo, and even more surprised when he performed a third. Everyone knew that Miss Monday never did anything unless there was a reason, but it still wasn't clear to Maisie what that reason might be.

After the Reverend Watts had blessed his flock at the end of the service, Maisie remained in her place and waited for Harry to appear, hoping he'd be able to tell her why he'd been asked to sing three solos. As she chatted anxiously to her mother, her eyes never left Mr Holcombe, who was introducing the older man to Miss Monday and the Reverend Watts.

A moment later, the Reverend Watts led the two men into the vestry. Miss Monday marched down the aisle towards Maisie, a resolute look on her face, which every parishioner knew meant she was on a mission. 'Can I have a private word with you, Mrs Clifton?' she asked.

She didn't give Maisie a chance to reply, but simply turned and walked back down the aisle towards the vestry.

Eddie Atkins hadn't shown his face in Tilly's for over a month, but then one morning he reappeared and took his usual seat at one of Maisie's tables. When she came over to serve him, he gave her a huge smile, as if he'd never been away.

'Good morning, Mr Atkins,' Maisie said as she opened her notepad. 'What can I get for you?'

'My usual,' said Eddie.

'It's been so long, Mr Atkins,' said Maisie. 'You'll have to remind me.'

'I'm sorry I haven't been in touch, Maisie,' said Eddie, 'but I had to go to America at rather short notice, and I only got back last night.'

She wanted to believe him. Maisie had already admitted to her mother that she was a little disappointed she hadn't heard from Eddie after he'd taken her to the cinema. She'd enjoyed his company and felt the evening had gone rather well.

Another man had started visiting the tea shop regularly, and like Eddie he would only sit at one of Maisie's tables. Although she couldn't help noticing that he was showing considerable interest in her, she didn't give him any encouragement, because not only was he middle-aged but he was also wearing a wedding ring. He had a detached air about him, like a solicitor who is studying a client, and whenever he spoke to her he sounded a little pompous. Maisie could hear her mother asking, 'What's his game?' But perhaps she'd misunderstood his intentions, because he never once tried to strike up a conversation with her.