As he said the words ‘enemy planes’ his smile faltered. Maggie wondered how much action he’d seen and how terrible it had been and how many of his fellow airmen hadn’t made it back. But she couldn’t ask him. He’d tell her, if he wanted to.

‘When you see those dots in the sky – the enemy planes – coming towards you, it’s pretty damn frightening, Poppy, I don’t mind telling you. And anyone who tells you they’re not terrified is – well, he’s a liar. We prayed for bad weather the whole summer but you know what it’s been like: clear blue skies and sunshine. Just when you don’t want it.’

He bent to pick up a stone and she wondered whether it was to hide the emotion on his face. She was a little shocked. She hadn’t expected him to be like this: thoughtful and sensitive. It made her warm to him even more.

Jack took his left arm back and skimmed the stone across the water. It skipped a couple of times and then sank, sending ripples across the surface of the pool.

‘Pah, can’t do it properly with this hand,’ he complained.

The throw had looked fine to Maggie; it was better than she’d have managed, even without a broken wrist, but Jack tutted and chose another stone to skim. It missed a duck, bobbing about in the middle of the water, by about an inch. Maggie’s hands flew to her face. ‘Careful!’

The duck gave an indignant squawk and flew off, feathers decidedly ruffled.

Jack laughed. ‘Missed! Shame! We could have taken it back to Cook for dinner!’

They walked on.

‘I’ve kept my promise, Poppy,’ he said, turning to look at her. Maggie knew what he meant and as no one had breathed a word to her about speaking German, he must be telling the truth.

‘Thank you,’ she said, praying he wouldn’t ask her any more about it.

‘And I’ll let you into a little secret of my own. My uncle doesn’t like me to bandy it about, in case people treat me differently, so keep it under your hat but one day, Pops, all this—’ he stretched out his left arm and gazed out over the water ‘—will be mine!’

Maggie shook her head. Could that really be true?

He shrugged. ‘My uncle and Esther don’t have children. “Without issue” is the legal term. So, I’m the heir. Of this whole place!’ He grinned. ‘Isn’t it mad?’

It must be true. He wouldn’t make up something like that.

She realised, in a flash, that must have been what Pam meant when she’d said Jack Rosman would be snapped up ‘especially as …’ Was this the ‘especially as’ she’d been referring to?