The girls were silent, as though waiting for Maggie’s reaction but she stayed still under the eiderdown.

‘Oh, she’s not taking the bait,’ Nancy said. ‘Never mind. Perhaps she really is asleep. Anyway, we had a lovely time tonight, didn’t we, Pam? I think we’re going to have a jolly good war here!’

‘Yes,’ Pam agreed. ‘I say, did you see Lady Ashford’s pendant? Wasn’t it divine?’

‘And that exquisite turquoise ring?’

‘What about the gold bangles? I counted at least six. She positively chimed—’

‘And he charmed!’

They laughed.

‘I wonder why the Ashfords don’t have children?’ Pam mused. ‘Perhaps he can’t, you know, do it? War wound or something from the last one? He’s such a dish, though, I’ve always thought that. I’d find it hard to say no, wouldn’t you, Nance?’

They laughed. Nancy had such a raucous laugh the chaps could probably hear her all the way down the corridor.

‘He’s ten years older than her, you know,’ Pam said.

‘But he’s not ancient, is he? He can’t be past it,’ Nancy said.

The girls’ conversation moved away from the Ashfords and they started to talk about places and people and parties that Maggie neither knew nor cared about.

It had been like that at the munitions factory. The only saving grace there was that it was too noisy to speak during the shifts, so at least she didn’t have to try to join in with the gossip. It was only during the tea breaks, when the girls talked about sweethearts and nights out, that Maggie simply didn’t know what to say.

She’d almost had a boyfriend, once. There’d been a nice chap a few months back, a fireman she’d met on fire-watching duty at the factory. He’d wanted to take her out and even came to the house once to pick her up, but when Dad got wind of it, he’d gone barmy. He’d yelled at Mutti. What in hell’s name was she doing, letting Maggie out with strange men? So, Maggie had to make an excuse and put an end to things before they’d even started.

‘She’s glad now that she did it, you know,’ Pam was saying, about someone or other. ‘Went all the way with him, I mean. I don’t blame her one jot. Her chap might not make it. He’s being posted out to goodness only knows where next week. She said it was a kind of goodbye present.’

Maggie turned over. Honestly, she couldn’t bear it. She pushed her fingers into her ears and instantly the girls’ voices were reduced to indecipherable murmurs. A few minutes later, even the murmuring had stopped. They were breathing heavily. They’d finally fallen asleep.