‘You’re deafening us!’

‘Stop! For heaven’s sake!’

‘Enough, enough!’ Ray waved his arms at Bill. ‘We’ve got the message.’

That was it. The drill was over.

Ray looked around for Maggie, thinking they might perhaps leave the cellar together but she was already halfway up the stairs, following closely behind the airman. Ray’s shoulders slumped. The drill had gone to plan, more or less, but he felt disappointed and vaguely unsettled. It was all to do with Maggie. He had a sense that he didn’t know her very well at all.

The other girls were laughing at something Jack had said. Pam cooed, ‘Come and listen to some music in the drawing room, if you like.’

Ray’s chest tightened. The girls never spoke to him like that. Now he really did feel down.

He waited until everyone had trooped up the stairs and out of the cellar. He should be the last to leave, like the captain of a sinking ship. Besides checking that everyone was safely out, he wanted to be sure that no one (he was thinking of Bill, in particular) had decided to help themselves to a bottle.

The last person to leave – one of the kitchen staff – had reached the top of the stairs, slipped through the door and closed it behind her.

Ray swung his gas mask over his shoulder, suddenly feeling very weary. As he mounted the first step, the door creaked open again.

It was him, ‘Call-me-Jack’. He looked down at Ray. ‘Last one out, turn off the lights, won’t you, old chap?’

The door slammed behind him, leaving Ray standing in the dimly lit cellar, quite alone.

Chapter 28

It was difficult to see in the dark but as Bill flashed his torch across the village green, Ray could make it out: The Royal Oak.

The building was small and square, like a house and if it hadn’t been for the sign outside, creaking as it swayed in the wind, Ray would never have guessed it was a pub.

There was a chink of light seeping from one of the windows. Ray nudged Bill. ‘Look! Don’t suppose they’ve got any wardens round here. I’ll mention it, shall I, when we get inside?’

But when they pushed open the door and a hush fell in the bar, as a dozen heads turned to stare, Ray thought better of it. He dropped his hand, which had been half-raised towards the blackout blind, and smothered his intended words with a cough.

There was a log fire roaring in the grate; it was warm. Shame the same couldn’t be said for the welcome.