And so it had not been the last time that he had slipped into her bed. Both of them longed for the time when he could stop creeping about and claim the room as their own, as husband and wife.

Appropriately, the news came just after Easter. They had journeyed through the days of the Easter Triduum, the darkness of death being gradually overcome by light, bringing a time of flowers and holiday.

Katie had spent as much time as she could on her dress and, having got in from work that evening, was down at the back of the house where the light was best, hand-sewing lace onto the bodice. She had made tea for Sybil and the two of them were sitting together. Marek had just got in from work, come and kissed her and run upstairs to change.

Then there came a thunderous, crazed banging of the front-door knocker and screaming, high-pitched and incomprehensible. Archie leapt to his feet barking crazily. Sybil almost spilled her tea.

‘What on earth?’ she exclaimed.

Katie was on her feet. ‘It’s Agnieska – I’m sure it is.’

Marek had heard and was running downstairs again, still pulling on a shirt, as Katie tore along to open the door. Agnieska almost fell in through it. She was in more of a state than anyone Katie had ever seen, her hair half down, eyes wild, tears on her cheeks. But Katie couldn’t work out what any of it was about, as Agnieska cannonballed past her, straight at Marek, shrieking in Polish, seeming barely able to get the words out. She had a piece of paper in her hand. She banged it on his chest, she slapped it with her hand, she yelled out a stream of words, then shoved it into his hand and burst into convulsive weeping, hands over her face.

Katie focused on Marek’s face, the growing look of wonder mixed with disbelief, the tension as he read. He clutched the paper to him and said something in Polish. Then he became aware of Katie and Sybil, standing in helpless bewilderment at each end of the hall.

‘God be praised!’ he cried. ‘Look . . .’ He held out the paper, hardly able to speak, either. ‘It is from the Red Cross. It is our sister Ewa – she is in New Zealand!’

He and Agnieska hugged each other, both weeping, and Katie found tears running down her own cheeks and saw that Sybil was very moved as well. Agnieska sobbed, repeating some words over and over again, and it took some time before anyone was able to calm down. Katie went and put her arms round both of them and kissed them.

‘I’m so happy for you,’ she said. She understood now how easily this might not have happened, how equally likely it had been that Ewa was dead.

‘It says she is getting married,’ Marek said wiping his cheeks. He seemed stunned.