Binnie stayed where she was. “When I had the measles, you said you wouldn’t leave,” she said. “You promised.”

“I know,” Eileen said.

“The vicar says breaking a promise is a sin.”

Tell her sometimes it’s not possible to keep promises, Polly willed her. Tell her—

“The vicar’s right,” Eileen said. “It is a sin. I’m not leaving, Binnie.”

“You swear you’re stayin’?” Binnie said.

“I swear,” Eileen said, and smiled at her. “Who’d take care of you and Alf if I left? Now, go with Miss Laburnum.” And Binnie ran off after her.

This time Polly waited until she was certain they were out of earshot and then said, “You shouldn’t have lied to her. It isn’t fair. You owe it to her to tell her that you’re leaving.”

“I can’t tell her that,” Eileen said.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not going back with you.”

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

—WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, ROMEO AND JULIET

London—19 April 1941

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE NOT GOING BACK?” POLLY said, staring at Eileen standing there calmly in the theater aisle. She looked from Colin to Mr. Dunworthy. “What does she mean?”

“I’ve decided to stay,” Eileen said.

“Because they need a principal boy?” Polly burst out. “They can get Mrs. Brightford to play the Prince. Or Binnie. She knows all the lines. And how do we know the drop will open again after the pantomime’s over? You can’t—”

“I’m not staying till after the pantomime, Polly. I’m staying for good.” She looked at Colin and Mr. Dunworthy. “It’s already settled.”

“Settled? What are you talking about?”

“Remember how you saw me in Trafalgar Square on VE-Day? I wasn’t there because we hadn’t been rescued. I was there because I stayed behind.”

“No, you weren’t. There could be a dozen other reasons why you were there that day. You could have been there on some other assignment, or—”

Eileen laughed, a clear, happy laugh. “Oh, Polly, you know Mr. Dunworthy would never let me go anywhere again after this. If I want to go to VE-Day, I’m going to need to do it from here. Isn’t that right, Mr. Dunworthy?” she asked, smiling at him.

He was looking solemnly at her.

He’s going to let her stay, Polly thought incredulously. But he can’t.

“This is ridiculous, Eileen,” she said. “I don’t even know for certain it was you. I was halfway across Trafalgar Square. It might have been someone else entirely—”

“In my green coat,” Eileen said.

“Someone could have bought it at an applecart upset,” Polly said. “You said yourself it was perfect for a redhead.”

Eileen shook her head. “It was me. I have to be there so everything else can happen.”

“But there must be some other way,” Polly said, appealing to Colin. “You can’t let her—”

“That isn’t the only reason I’m staying,” Eileen said. “There’s Alf and Binnie. I promised the vicar, Mr. Goode, that I’d look after them, and I can’t let him down.”

“But there must be someone else who could take them, the rector or Mrs. Wyvern or someone,” Polly said, knowing even as she said it that it was impossible. She had already lost this argument when Eileen took them in.