‘I just thought . . .’ Those foolish tears welled up. ‘I just thought you’d forgotten all about me.’

‘Oh, Katie!’ He laughed and reached out to stroke her cheek. ‘What’s this – not crying, are we? Look, I’m sorry.’ Now he did really sound sorry. ‘It’s just, I knew that if I kept looking at you . . . Well, I might not be able to control myself – and that sour-faced Crosby woman would be onto us and there’d be all sorts of gossip. I know it’s awful, but it’s better to keep this sort of thing quite separate, surely you must see that? It doesn’t mean anything. There’s you across the room, with your lovely face and those lips that I’ve been longing to kiss all day, and me having to sit on my hands and take a very serious’ – he was clowning now, and all she could do was laugh – ‘interest in the manufacture of motors and the war effort, when all the time this delicious woman is sitting there just in my line of vision. Oh, the agony!’

He reached forward and pecked her on the cheek and she forgave him instantly. Of course he was right. They all had to keep their minds on what was important: winning the war! How childish she was being.

‘Just one quick drink then . . .’

‘Oh, thank goodness! The lady relents!’ He took her arm in that way she loved and said, ‘My car’s just back round the corner.’

That night she was home by nine o’clock, to find her mother staring stonily at her and a plateful of greyish fish and potato congealing in the oven.

‘Sorry, Mother,’ she said, not feeling in the least sorry. Her heart was singing like a bird and her body tingling all over from being held tight in Simon’s arms. They’d been to the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath and they’d talked about some of the day-to-day things in the office, about some of the characters at the works, and had let off steam about the grimness of Lena Crosby.

‘I think we ought to tell her she’s got to smile for the war effort!’ Simon joked. ‘I’ve never seen anyone who can keep up a sour face such a percentage of the time. It must be a record!’ His exaggerated bafflement made Katie giggle helplessly. Later she told him a little bit more about Vera, saying she was over-protective.

‘Well, we’d better get you back a good bit earlier tonight, hadn’t we?’ he said, and she was warmed by his consideration.

But there’d been time for a brief stroll, arm in arm, and he’d taken her in his arms at the edge of the park.

‘At last – I’ve got you to myself,’ he said. And they kissed and cuddled. He stroked her hair and looked at her in the darkness. He ran a finger softly down her cheek. ‘Oh God, you’re so lovely.’

And she wanted to tell him how handsome he was, what the sight of him did to her, but she didn’t know how to begin and ended up saying, ‘You’re lovely too’, and it didn’t feel quite enough.