‘I reckon we’re moving,’ she squeaked.

‘W-what?’ Holly was awake now too, conscious of the ship rolling as it set out to sea.

‘I don’t feel well,’ Angela bleated and Holly hurriedly fetched a bowl from by the sink and handed it to her. It was just as well she did because seconds later Angela brought up everything she had eaten that day.

‘Oh Lord, I’m dying,’ she groaned and Holly couldn’t help but smile.

‘No, you’re not dying, you’re just a bit seasick that’s all. Once we get out to sea and the ship stops rolling so much you’ll probably be fine.’

Holly took back her words when halfway across the Channel they sailed into a storm and suddenly the boat was pitching dangerously from side to side. They had to grip the sides of their bunks to prevent themselves from being thrown over the edge and Angela was almost hysterical.

‘If the bloody Germans don’t sink us this storm surely will,’ she wailed. Her eyes were huge with terror in her pale face but Holly couldn’t even manage to stand to comfort her without being thrown about the cabin like a rag doll.

‘The crew are very experienced,’ she said weakly. ‘And the storm’s bound to blow over soon.’ But Angela didn’t hear a word she said. She was too busy retching and moaning over the bowl.

Which was probably just as well, because though she’d tried to sound confident, Holly was just as frightened as Angela and the constant pitching and rolling was making her feel sick as well. Each time the ship crested the treacherous waves it would then drop like a stone and whenever it did this, both girls felt as if they had left their stomachs up in the air.

They were within sight of the French harbour early the next morning when the storm died away as quickly as it had started but by then both girls were exhausted and looking far from well.

Holly tentatively rolled to the edge of the bunk and placed her foot on the floor, relieved to find that she could stand again, albeit on very wobbly legs, without being thrown about.

When the ship’s foghorn sounded she breathed a sigh of relief. ‘We must be nearly there,’ she told Angela but the girl was still feeling too sick to care. ‘Let’s go up and see if there’s any sign of Harry and Richard on deck,’ she suggested, feeling the need to feel fresh air on her face, but Angela shook her head.

‘No you go … I’ll stay here.’

‘Are you sure you’ll be all right?’ When Angela nodded Holly snatched up her cape and headed for the steep, narrow wooden stairs that led to the deck. If anything the fog was even denser than it had been the day before and she suddenly had the eerie feeling that she was the only person left on board. Warily she felt for the rails and peered ahead with narrowed eyes but she could see no more than a few feet in front of her. In addition to this, the wind was icy so after a few minutes she turned to go back to the comparative warmth of the cabin only to find Richard standing just a few feet away from her.