‘Cynth – I mean – Miss Sharp’s awfully good,’ Pam had said, ignoring the supervisor’s coy attempts to shush her. ‘She could have been an instructor for the League. She’s done displays in the Albert Hall and all sorts.’

Maggie had been to check up on Tabby and take her a few scraps of food from lunch. Now, she quickened her step. This, she had to see.

Elsie, Pam and Nancy were lined up on the lawn with their backs to her and facing Miss Sharp. All the women had bare legs and feet and were wearing identical white satin leotards and black shorts.

This morning, Nancy had stood in her underwear with her rollers in, pushing out her elbows as she chanted, ‘I must, I must, improve my bust!’ The first sign that her colleagues were serious about the body beautiful.

Now, they were touching their toes, with straight legs – first the left and then the right and all perfectly in time, while Miss Sharp shouted out instructions in a voice that any sergeant major would be proud of.

‘Not joining in, Poppy?’

Maggie jumped. She recognised that smooth deep voice and her stomach did a somersault. It was him again; the airman, Jack Rosman. There’d been no sign of him since their first encounter in the basement the other night and Maggie had begun to think he must have left Snowden. But he was still here! It was ridiculous how pleased she felt.

He was out of uniform this time but still looked dapper in his flannels, a collarless shirt and pullover. His right arm was held up in the sling across his chest. He was standing close, towering above her, and he smelled rather nice, of spicy cologne.

Maggie swallowed. It almost seemed – but no, she was imagining it – why would someone like him be interested in her? But she had the impression that he’d been looking for her.

‘Not for you, eh?’ he asked with a smile, nodding towards the girls on the lawn but not taking his eyes off her.

The girls were now lying down, cycling their legs in the air. Maggie was glad Jack wasn’t gawping at them; in fact, he was hardly paying them any attention. All his focus seemed to be on her. It was making her blush.

She shook her head. ‘I’m not in The League.’

He laughed. ‘The League of Nations?’

‘The League of Health and Beauty. They did ask me but …’ Maggie wrinkled her nose.

‘Don’t blame you. All looks rather virtuous and energetic, doesn’t it?’

She’d declined the girls’ invitation. She hadn’t admitted it but not only had she never done ‘Keep Fit’, she didn’t have any idea what it entailed. And besides, what would she wear?