Norm was sitting in the armchair nearest to Pam. He looked up from the Daily Mail. ‘You mean like a ceasefire?’

‘I was only surmising,’ Nancy said. ‘They stopped fighting at Christmas last time, didn’t they, and played football? Jerry and our boys?’

Norm pulled a face. ‘If you believe that, yes.’ He grunted and turned back to his newspaper.

‘They might stop, Nancy,’ Maggie said, suddenly filled with an urge to stick up for her. Norm could be so condescending at times. As though no one else could have an opinion on the war except him. ‘I’m sure the Germans want a nice Christmas, too. Let’s hope so, eh?’

Norm stood up, threw his paper down on the chair and marched out of the room.

‘Cor, who’s rattled his cage?’ Elsie asked. ‘There’s no need to worry about us, Maggie. We’ll only be away a couple of days and we’re not exactly going to the Front. We’ll be back before you know it.’

‘Hey, don’t wish our Christmas holidays away!’ Nancy complained. She picked up a Community Chest card and read, ‘You have won second prize in a beauty contest, collect ten pounds.’

‘Only second, Nancy?’ Pam asked archly.

‘I’m happy with that, thank you very much, Banker!’ she snatched the white paper note from Pam and giggled.

Everyone was going back to London for Christmas except her and Ray and Maggie was surprised to find that she was, all of a sudden, worried about them.

Since she’d saved Rudi and they’d all heard her speak German on the side of the pool, the girls had been nicer than ever. They understood now why she spent all that time with his Lordship. Of course, they didn’t know the whole story; they only knew she was teaching him the language and nothing about the letters and documents she’d been translating. And as Jack was back in Lincolnshire with his squadron, there were no sly comments about him, either.

They weren’t merely colleagues anymore, they were pals.

‘Yes,’ Nancy said, firmly, ‘we’ll be back before you know it, so don’t get any ideas about swiping my bed!’

‘Borrow anything you like from my side of the wardrobe, Maggie,’ Pam said quietly. ‘If you’d like to, that is. We’re about the same size.’

She’d never seen Pam look coy before.

‘Thank you, Pam, that’s kind. I will,’ Maggie said.

* * *

On Christmas Eve, Maggie and Ray waved everyone off, after work.

As her colleagues piled excitedly into Lord Ashford’s car and the horse and cart which were to take them to the station, Maggie felt a twinge of envy. She didn’t have anyone waiting for her in London; no one who’d be pleased to see her.

‘Behave yourselves, you two!’ Big Bill called back at them as the cart rolled off down the drive.