He’d managed to make her smile, at least.

‘The … er … the being-half-German secret. When Geoff raised the alarm and the others came running out of the house, as I started to come to on the poolside, I was speaking German, by all accounts or “gibberish”, as Elsie – Miss Davenport – put it.’

‘And?’

She shrugged. ‘They’re being perfectly nice.’

‘I should jolly well think so! You’d saved a child’s life, which is more than any of them did. Maguire excepted. He helped.’

Miss Corbett gave a wan smile. ‘That’s more or less what they said, Sir.’

‘Good, good.’ Joseph rubbed his hands together. ‘Right, I think you need a few days’ convalescence, Miss Corbett, so no work for you for the time being but there is something I want you to consider.’

He cleared his throat. He hoped he wasn’t overburdening the girl, especially given all that she’d just been through. But he was sure that, inside that rather fragile-looking exterior, there was a solid core, a strength to Maggie Corbett that perhaps she didn’t even realise she had.

Joseph coughed again. This was ridiculous but he felt suddenly rather sentimental. ‘I thank my lucky stars that you walked into Rosman’s bank in September,’ he said, with a firm nod. ‘You are valuable to me, in so many ways and the last thing I want is for you to leave us. But – no, please, let me finish. Sadly, regrettably, I have come to the conclusion that you and your not inconsiderable talents are wasted here, Miss Corbett. It would be selfish of me to keep you all to myself. There’s more, much more, you could be doing for the war effort. And I have an inkling you’d like that. Would you? Would you be interested in something rather more challenging?’

Chapter 43

Just before lunch, Miss Sharp sent Maggie on an errand. When she returned to the banking hall, no one was there. Charming! They’d all started lunch without her.

Then she heard a giggle from the far end of the Gallery and looked up. All her colleagues were standing around the table, in front of their seats and staring at her.

‘What on earth?’ She started to walk towards them.

‘Hip, hip—’ Ray yelled.

‘—hooray!’ the others finished.

She walked up to the table and took her seat to a round of applause. And then she noticed everyone was there; not only her bank colleagues but, standing at the back wall, were Gwen and Cook, wiping her hands on her apron and Brummie the driver and Mrs Mason and even, in the doorway, with folded arms and a proud smile on his face, Lord Ashford himself.

‘A little celebration, dear Miss Corbett,’ Miss Sharp said. She patted Maggie gently on the back. ‘Cook’s made your favourite mock sausage and if we could give you a medal, we would!’

‘You were so brave, Maggie,’ Nancy said.