Yes. these words by Mrs Dorling the narrator shows that she least expected such a Visit She had presumed that all of them were dead This lead to the conclusion that the story is set against the tragic circumstances of a War in which families lost their lives and belongings. The statement tells us that the narrator and her family at cne time lived in that area and secondly, the clue that the war has brought about a bit of destruction and seems that Mrs. Dorling was not expecting anyone to return to her house to claim the belongings.