Tilly couldn't imagine what the problem was. She was young and healthy. She had plenty of good, nutritious food. She was happy. Why couldn't she conceive a child? She thought about talking it over with Dr Pollock, but she knew what he would say. He would say the same thing she herself said to anxious would-be mothers. "Just give it time. These things sometimes don't happen straight away."

And he would advise her to maybe have a glass of gin before they went to bed, in order to relax. ...