Annie Brent's husband David hasn’t been home for two years and it doesn’t look as if he’ll be home for another two. David Brent is Bridbury’s soldier. He is serving in the British army that is, in the king’s name, currently suppressing the troublesome Boers in South Africa, who have recently set up the second Boer Republic and are, alongside the troublesome Zulus, a constant source of concern for the British army. 

Annie is worried because the newspapers are increasingly bandying the word “war” about. But her four year old son William has not forgotten his father. While she sews dolls’ dresses for the dolls in the toyshop in the evenings with the mayor’s wife Maggie Redbridge, and William is playing with Maggie’s sons, he enacts imaginary battles with his wooden sword and hobby horse. Annie is the most faithful member of the church’s congregation, where she prays that David may soon come home. She attends the morning prayers of father Jessy Anthony Green every morning, or just sits in the front pew staring straight ahead of her. "Annie's Boutique" once began as a real fashion shop, but with the exception of Maggie Redbridge, "missis Angelina", the bank manager, Jonathan Bexley’s wife, and Jeanet Evans of the hat shop, Bridbury’s women are not really very fashion conscious. 

Even Miss July Lewisham, teacher at the "St. Joseph Primary School", arrays herself daily in sober grey. Therefore Annie doesn’t have an easy time. Luckily David sometimes sends a few pounds of his payment, but in order to earn some extras she works for a few hours in the afternoon behind the counter at Frederick and Marian Chersey’s post office.